Percy Jackson: Depraved or Deplorable?
by Jash Parikh
Summary: When Percy's universe turns upside down after an execution order against him for killing an immortal, he knows he can't outrun all the Gods. Did he even kill his own immortal brother? If not why would he confess to it? If he did, how did he manage to kill an immortal? What is the real story? Find out only in "Percy Jackson: Depraved or Deplorable?" DETAILED SUMMARY AT THE START.
1. Summary

PERCY JACKSON: DEPRAVED OR DEPLORABLE?

SUMMARY:

* * *

"Yes, I did."

The Olympian trial was in motion, and those three words resonated through the walls of the throne room, Sending a tingle down every God's spine. Silence followed, then a question

"Why..?"

"He went too far this time, Lord Zeus," came a reply through gritted teeth.

"Too far? You made him so miserable then killed him, just for the sake of vengeance?"

The accused stayed quiet.

Meanwhile the sea God was finding it hard to contain his rage, anger brewing inside him like a tornado about to decimate whatever stood in its way.

"For killing an innocent in such a gruesome manner, I'd make you immortal and sentence you to Tartarus. But seeing how much you have done for us, endured for us, you will be executed and your life will be forfeit. This decision is irrevocable under every circumstance, **Perseus Jackson**! " Ordered Zeus.

* * *

The most celebrated couple of camp Half-blood were all set to leave camp and travel to New Rome to have a peaceful life. But the fates had different plans. An alarm sounded, and Zeus' voices radiated through camp Half-Blood. "The Sea mourns the loss of its Prince. All are invited tomorrow at dawn to the funeral of the Prince of the sea and the heir of Poseidon, Commander of the Poseidon army - Triton, who departed us - victim to a horrible and nightmarish murder."

When Percy's universe turns upside down after an execution order against him, he knows he can't outrun all the Gods. Wait...did he? How could he have killed an immortal Prince of the Sea? But he did confess...

The execution of Perseus Jackson is a painful wound as the demigods realize that a new threat...fare more ancient, dark and powerful than the Olympians is about to attack. Who is this being? Let me give you a hint: Olympians will face their worst fight ever w _hen Hell breaks loose...literally._ Is Percy really guilty? Or is he a part of something much bigger? What is the real story? Find out only in "Percy Jackson: Depraved or Deplorable?"

\- Has no Chaos/End/Order/other un-earthly beings.

\- Is not based on Percy running away from the Gods and/or any kind of betrayal by Annabeth Chase.

\- Advisable to be read only by people with higher intellect - plot twists may get really confusing at some point.

Cover credit: SunsetStar17


	2. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1: The Rainbow's proof**

* * *

3rd PERSON'S POV:

The war was over, Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, two-time saviours of Olympus and the most talked about couple at the camp were ready to leave what had been their home for so many years. Like Percy had promised, he and Annabeth had it all planned out: two years in new Rome, no monsters, no fights. College, normal life, and just the two of them spending time together. Then they would consider returning to Camp Half-Blood and help Chiron train the younger demigods. But like a cataclysm came an event that washed out the whole plan and shattered and broke hearts.

Everything was ready, goodbyes were said, sentiments were shared, even some tears were shed. "It's time to go wise girl. The train won't wait for us forever." Percy said, looking lovingly at the girl he'd fallen in Tartarus for. He knew it would be tough for her, even if it was only 2 years. She'd practically grown up here since she was 7.  
Chiron hugged them both,  
"I know you two can take care of yourselves, but IM me as soon as you reach."  
"We will," Percy said. The couple turned their backs and started walking towards the camp borders when Percy suddenly had a nagging sensation. He turned to Annabeth to talk about this but realized that she too resembled his expressions. He turned back and saw that all the campers and Chiron were looking a bit queasy. "Whoa." he thought. "Something really bad seems to have happened at Olympus."

Just then, Zeus' booming voice hit our ears.

"The Sea mourns the loss of its Prince, my brother Poseidon the loss of his son. All are invited tomorrow at dawn to the funeral of the Prince of the sea and the heir of Poseidon, Commander of the Poseidon army - Triton, who departed us, victim to a horrible and gruesome murder."

The voice and the weird feeling went away, leaving all the campers stunned in its wake. Murmurs began whispers of another possible battle. After all, everyone knew that Triton wasn't a weak opponent. He was immortal and powerful. Not your average murder victim, so obviously there wasn't your average murderer. A powerful enemy capable of killing an immortal in a 'gruesome' manner, if Zeus' words were to be believed.

People were confused. Rumours immediately began doing the rounds that either a new threat loomed or an old one had resurfaced. "I guess the plan postpones itself then. We'll have to stay today and attend the funeral tomorrow." Percy said looking at Annabeth. "Yeah. We'll attend the funeral and see what this is all about. If everything seems all right we'll leave for Rome straightaway or else we'll return here." She replied. Chiron had heard the conversation and he just nodded when the two looked at him.  
"Retire early today children, we need to be up before dawn tomorrow," Chiron instructed. A few of the demigods asked Percy how he was doing after his brother's death, and he had the same reply for everyone "Okay I guess, I don't know how to feel since we weren't very close. I just met him once actually." And they would all nod, content with that reply. He was right. They'd met only once when Percy had escaped Princess Andromeda when Beckendorf hadn't been able to make it and spent some time in his dad's realm. In truth, he was just worried about his dad. He knew they weren't exactly very close, but still, he knew dad loved him and his immortal wife Amphitrite. He wanted to go to Mt Olympus just to talk to him about it. See how he was doing. He returned to his cabin while Annabeth returned to her's, hoping against hope nothing was wrong and they would still be able to go to Rome the next day. The respite wasn't to be on offer by the fates to our heroes as Annabeth would soon come to learn, though.

The next day about an hour and a half before dawn, the whole camp was ready to go to the funeral. Chiron led the way, and with 12 buses driven by harpies and argus at maniac speeds, they all reached the gates in under an hour. Chiron asked for the pass to the sixth hundredth floor. They boarded the elevator with Chiron and the senior campers leading the way. They'd have to make multiple rounds, but the funeral still had some time. The elevator still played crap music, but as soon as they left the elevator, the dimmed lights and visibly dampened moods and depressed faces of the guests told them the announcement was indeed true. On walking a few feet further, a definite confirmation stared at their faces in the form of a sign that said "Prince Triton's funeral and final rites - 'C' wing base hall."

"Come, I know where that is," Chiron said. "Yeah, even we know where that is. Let's go." Percy said.

"How do you know?" Chiron asked puzzled.

"Well, my girlfriend is the official architect of this place and I paid attention when she was giving me a tour."  
"Oh," He said.

The senior campers included Percy, Annabeth, Clarisse, Katie, the Stolls, Piper, Nyssa, Pollux and a few others. Jason, since being promoted to Pontifex Maximus wasn't around much, travelling between camps and making true his promise of recognition to every God, They guessed he would come with the Roman camp.

Leo Valdez hadn't returned yet, but no one dared declare him dead. He was still believed to be missing and everyone was on the lookout for him. They hoped, and if anyone could pull off a return from an Island like Ogygia, they knew it was Leo. Thalia and Hylla were busy recruiting on a large scale since the war had literally decimated their entire numbers.

The group started moving to where the arrow was pointed, and in a few minutes reached an amphitheatre looking area where a stage was built. Chiron had told us that according to rules, only the Gods were allowed in the final rites and burial of any Prince, so they didn't go. When Percy asked why Chiron wasn't going, he explained "Only full immortals are allowed, Percy. I have a boon to be alive as long as I'm needed to teach children. That doesn't mean I'm immortal forever." Percy just nodded, the demigods looking a bit uneasy, not liking the idea of Chiron having to die someday.

Chairs were arranged for the guests, and the demigods figured the plan was to end the rites then address everyone here. "Let's take our seats, everyone. The Gods will be returning soon. The Romans, as punctual as they are, have already taken their seats."

He was correct. The Romans were already seated in their chairs. The group moved a bit forward when one of the Romans saw them and nudged the person next to him. This nudge cycle continued until every Roman including the praetors who were sitting right in front had been notified. Frank, Hazel and Reyna rose up to meet us. We said our hellos, hugged each other and took our seats.

Jason had also come, and after I shook hands with him, he kissed Piper, grabbed her hands and they went to where Jason was previously seated, Piper taking a seat beside him. We all took our seats with our better halves and patiently awaited the Gods' return. When they returned, almost every single demigod felt like cowering under a rock for at least a century. They'd seen the Gods together and awed at the power. Now they were scared shitless by the anger radiating from them.

Surprisingly even Hades and Zeus who would otherwise be indifferent if not glad about the death of their brother's children's demise looked angry. Not only that. They were directing the anger at the crowd. More specifically at someone in particular. They were all staring at Percy Jackson with indescribable rage.

"What? What did I do?" He asked confused.

"You dare ask that? You DARE ASK THAT!?" Poseidon bellowed.

"Calm down brother. Seems like he wants to play the denial game." Hades, to everyone's shock, was calming Poseidon down.

What the hell was going on? The hero of Olympus being treated like that, the big three working as a team in doing so?

"We don't wanna play games with you, Percy Jackson. Just tell us why. We had a very hard time convincing Poseidon that you of all people would have a great reason to commit such a heinous felony. But then I would've thought you'd come to us first. You didn't. So why don't we cut to the chase and you tell us why you did it?"

"Okay, I swear I have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't do anything I wasn't supposed to!"

"Enough! Tell me why you killed him, Percy. No lies or twisting facts! We know. Get it? We've literally seen you kill him! We've seen you KILL MY SON TRITON!" Poseidon roared, shaking the throne room and probably causing an earthquake somewhere.

There was stunned silence. You could literally cut the tension in the room with a knife. Percy, for a moment, looked gobsmacked. As soon as he recovered though, he started protesting firmly.

"That is the most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life! Why would I kill him? How could I kill him? Isn't he immortal?"

"So that was your alibi, that you couldn't have done it because you didn't know how to do it," Ares said testily. Percy had had enough by now though, his patience was reaching.

"Alright enough! I DID NOT KILL Triton. I didn't kill anyone who didn't deserve death, ever in my life. ! If you don't trust me, I swear by the Styx about the same."

The demigods watching this exchange were shocked at the Gods for throwing such accusations at their hero. They hadn't expected such drama in a funeral. Now that Percy had sworn on the Styx though, the judgement had been done, at least as far as the demigods were concerned.

"I don't know how you got away with a broken oath on the Styx, but I guess if you can get a chaotic platinum sword from somewhere, you can do anything," Hades said.

"Wha...What sword? You are all driving me nuts! Have you all lost your mind? Do you not remember how many times I've risked my life to save others'? How can I even imagine doing something so cruel like a murder?" He said.

The demigods, now enraged at their parents for accusing their friend and hero, started protesting.

"So you children believe us over this murderer?" Athena said.

"Mom! He's not a Murderer! Percy didn't do anything wrong! What is wrong with all of you! And you said you saw it? With your own eyes?"

"Yes and no. We saw it but we saw a video of it."

"So you're saying I murdered my brother without even going there, and I videotaped it so that you could all arrest me?"  
The idea sounded so absurd a few of the demigods started laughing.

"You dare lie and laugh after doing what you did Jackson! At first, I thought you'd have a reason for doing what you did, that you'd provide some explanation. But no, instead you wanna lie and try to get out of it. You think these demigods will help you? Well, we'll show them the same thing we saw. Then we'll see on whose side they are." Athena said.

Then Zeus spoke "Hermes. Go and get Iris."

Hermes disappeared without a word, and in a few moments reappeared with the rainbow Goddess.

"You asked for me, Lord Zeus?" "Yes. Iris. I need you to show us the exact same thing you showed us earlier today."  
"Of course my Lord. And just so that there isn't any confusion later on, I swear by the river Styx, that what I'm about to show you is true to the best of my knowledge."

Once Zeus nodded his approval, Iris raised her palms and half the room was encased in clouds. Then, a video began, a sort of a movie. Percy Jackson stared in the video. The watchers saw Percy Jackson leaving camp at about 3 in the morning. Annabeth was looking at Percy with a confused look. Meanwhile, thoughts of a possible confession were racing in Percy's mind.

"Okay, Please stop." The demigods were staring at Percy with confused looks. What did Percy do when he left camp? Why did he not let them see the entire video?

Zeus asked Iris to stop the video. "Perhaps there's something you want to tell us Perseus?" He asked.

"I.. Would like to discuss something with you all. In person."

"Why? Ashamed to confess to a felony in front of your friends, boy?" Artemis sneered.

"With all due respect Lady Artemis, my confession isn't any of your business. It's the king's, who is Zeus. So it's his call." Percy replied back, surprising everyone by being rude to one of the few goddesses he'd never before answered back to. Artemis just huffed indignantly, but let go, knowing now was not the time. Meanwhile, Percy was looking expectantly at Zeus.

"Very well. Let's head to the throne room, the demigods shall stay here."

The demigods, who were too stunned to comprehend what was happening until now. Suddenly a few of his friends spoke up as one voice. "Oh, no way you're having him alone. You'll kill him."

More voices protested." Yeah, no way we'll let you have a meeting with him alone."

"Yeah, Zeus has hated Percy since forever. Maybe this is a setup."

The most foolish suggestion though came from arguably the smartest demigod in the room. "Percy can never kill anyone. Maybe Zeus and Athena killed Triton and somehow blamed Percy. Lord Poseidon see what's happening here! Please! You know Percy could never do that!" Annabeth said.

Zeus looked a bit irritated while Poseidon simply ignored the comment, but Athena's nostrils flared in anger.

"Annabeth. How dare you accuse me of something so below the belt? True, I may not like Perseus, but I am the Goddess of Justice as well with other things, and I'd never wrong my own domain. Watch your words daughter, we are not exactly in a forgiving mood today."

"Annabeth, it's okay. Let me talk to them alone. I'll clarify things better that way. I trust them."

Annabeth hesitantly nodded, so the rest of the demigods also shut up. With a snap of his fingers, Zeus transported Percy to the throne room. The rest of the Olympians followed suit.

"Percy. Be clear, be truthful. I'm sorry for my outburst out there, but I saw the video. Don't deny it any longer. Just tell us the truth, please son, I'm begging you." Poseidon said with pleading eyes.

Percy took a deep breath. He knew the moment of truth had come. No use denying when they had a video. He just hoped he'd get an easy execution rather than being sentenced to Tartarus or something. He stared at Zeus for a long moment, then at his dad.

"Tell us, Percy. Did you or did you not kill Triton? Did you or did you not obtain the metal Chaotic platinum from somewhere that can kill an immortal? Did you or did you not torture him mercilessly before killing him?"

Percy took a deep breath, then spoke the words that threatened to haunt Annabeth Chase for the remainder of her existence.

"I actually wanted to surprise dad, he'd been telling me I should visit his palace. But on my way, I met Triton. We got into an argument. He insulted Annabeth. He called her.. names offendable to womankind. He went on to insult my mom. I couldn't take it anymore."

"Percy, cut to the chase. Did you or did you not kill Triton?"

"Yes, I did."

Those three words resonated through the walls of the throne room, sending a tingle down every God's spine. Silence followed, then a question "Why..?"

"With all due respect, he went too far this time Lord Zeus."

"Too far? You made him so miserable then killed him, just for the sake of vengeance?"

Percy could only stay quiet. Meanwhile the sea God was finding it hard to contain his rage, anger brewing inside him like a volcano about to erupt. "How dare you... How dare you kill MY SON!

"For killing an innocent in such a gruesome manner, I'd make you immortal and sentence you to Tartarus. But seeing how much you have done for us, endured for us, you will be executed and your life will be forfeit. That's the best we can give you. This decision is irrevocable under any circumstance."

The throne room went silent. Percy held his head down in shame. "Percy... What he did might have been wrong, but what you did, that was terrible. You had no right whatsoever to impart justice like that, to take someone's life so mercilessly. Do you have any idea what effect it had on me? Amphitrite? That woman is practically inconsolable." Poseidon said, shedding some tears.

"When...When will I be... " Percy asked, his words constricted in his throat.

"We do not wish to imprison you. And according to the ancient rules, you can't leave this room. So it has to be now. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Do it. Just please tell the whole truth to the campers."

"We will, you have our word," Zeus said.

Then he got up from his throne, his height kept on increasing till he reached his original godly height. Then he summoned his lightning bolt.

"Thank you for all you have done for us Percy, we never thought it would come to this, but please understand that we are left with no choice. We can't break rules that were set even before we became Olympians."

"I understand. I'm not sorry for my actions though, l never will be."

The big three just sighed. Then Zeus aimed his bolt at Percy's chest and prepared to fire.

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED.)**


	3. Chapter 2

**Ch.2: A Mystery**

* * *

(Recap: "It's alright. Do it. Just please tell the whole truth to the campers."

 _"We will, you have our_ word, _" Zeus said._

 _Then he got up from his throne, his height kept on increasing till he reached his original godly height. Then he summoned his lightning bolt._

 _"Thank you for all you have done for us Percy, we never thought it would come to this,_ but _please understand that we are left with no choice. We can't break rules that were set even before we became Olympians."_

 _"I understand. Although I'm not sorry for my actions, never will be."_

 _The big three just sighed. Then Zeus aimed his bolt at Percy's chest and prepared to shoot a bolt.)_

* * *

3rd PERSON'S POV :

The news of the tragic execution of Percy Jackson had spread, if possible, even faster than wildfire. Chiron was distraught, Jason, Piper and the rest of the seven except Leo (whose whereabouts were still unknown) plus Reyna and Nico seemed to be lost in sadness and depression. They wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep. They just kept staring at the sky and openly cursing the Gods, disbelieving that Percy could ever even condone let alone actually commit a murder. However, there was one person who didn't curse the Gods.

The most distraught, the most mentally destroyed soul who wouldn't eat, sleep, talk, leave her cabin or her bed or the photo of her boyfriend she had tightly clutched in her hands. She shed no tears, showed no emotions. Chiron tried to talk to her multiple times, but all in vain. She just stared into nothingness, nobody certain as to what was exactly going on in her mind. Days went by, and days turned into one week.

The campers were still not able to get over the fact that their hero had died. Eventually, Annabeth had started leaving her room and coming out, although she wouldn't speak to anyone. She would go out, eat a bit and then return to her bunk and get busy doing stuff she did her best to hide from her bunkmates. Chiron, now having had enough of it, decided to talk to Annabeth in private about her behaviour. So that day when she was having dinner, Chiron went to her and spoke softly

"Meet me in the big house as soon as you finish your dinner. No excuses, it's important."  
She just stared back while the centaur left.

A few minutes later, Annabeth walked into the big house where Chiron was patiently awaiting her arrival. She automatically sat down.

Chiron didn't want to, but he knew the way Annabeth would speak. She had hidden all her emotions inside her, and she needed to let them all out. The emotions were locked deep within her, the key to let them out was to feel the pain. You cannot get over something you don't wanna feel. Annabeth Chase seriously needed to cry and mourn the loss of her boyfriend. Only then would she speak her mind. "My child. You've been so quiet lately. So... Indifferent with what happened... makes one wonder if you ever even cared about Percy."

Annabeth gave Chiron a disbelieving look. Still, she said nothing though, so Chiron had to go on "You are so unfazed by his death Annabeth, you have disappointed me. I thought you would be broken beyond imagination, your scars impossible to heal. But here you are, doing your work, eating sleeping and leading your life like you actually believe that the man who had just died was a murderer. Was he? Well, you are a daughter of Athena, the smartest of her kids. So if you think that, maybe I should announce it to the whole camp as well?"

"What. Are. You. Saying, Chiron?" Annabeth spoke for the first time since hearing the news of the execution. "Just what I feel is happening."

"Is that what you feel is happening? You think I'm unfazed? You think I didn't love him? How dare you Chiron? How DARE you? I miss him more with every passing second Chiron. I miss his touch, his voice, his hair, his smile, his every single thing that you've never even noticed!" and the daughter of Athena broke.

It was as painful for Chiron to speak those words as it was for Annabeth to hear them. Because he knew that if anyone could ever define unconditional love, Annabeth Chase and Perseus Jackson would be the examples. If anyone could ever describe heartbreak and loneliness aptly, Annabeth Chase would be the example.

Annabeth's eyes were recreating Niagara falls, but Chiron didn't stop her. He just held her like a father for about fifteen to twenty minutes, rocking her and rubbing soothing circles behind her back to calm her down.

"He was my everything Chiron. I don't know what to do now. I swear, I loved him with every molecule of my body. My heart beats for him and my eyes blinked for him. I feel so alone and lost now Chiron, so alone and lost." She cried.

"I can't say everything will be fine my dear. But the fates aren't that cruel. Remember, there is no such thing as bad life, Just bad timing. You will get only what you deserve, and Gods know you deserve the best."

"Why me though. Why always me? First, he lost his memory, then we had to travel on that wretched ship, then. Then when all looked to be finally setting in place, he. He left us..." She said, letting out gut-wrenching sobs one after another.

Chiron had no words of comfort. In fact, he himself felt somewhat similarly. Every time he got attached to a hero, that hero would either become a lunatic egoistic jerk like Hercules or die a tragic end like Achilles and now Percy. And not only them. Every war he'd seen, every battle they'd won, to the world, it seemed like they'd become victorious.

No one truly realized the actual death toll, only he did. Percy's case stood out among the rest though, because unlike the rest he didn't die in battle. The hero who instilled fear in the minds of monsters and titans alike, whose death if ever imagined was nothing other then a tragic end, was victim to a controversial execution. Controversial because no one who knew him could actually believe that he'd done it.

But the Gods had shown them a video of his confession. Up to his confession. They said that the part with the execution needed to be censored since it was inappropriate for the viewers.

"Chiron. Tell me honestly. Do you believe he did it?"

"No my child. I do not. But things aren't in his favour. He's Percy. He would never confess to a crime he didn't commit. He'd rather die."

"Yeah. And as much as I'd hate to admit, the Gods would never steep so low as to force him into a confession. Poseidon loves him too much to allow that, that much I'm sure of."

"Then who could've done this?"

"I don't know Chiron. What I do know, though, is that he didn't do it. He may or may not have used his hands, but it wasn't his decision. He was either controlled or blackmailed. And I intend to find out who was the culprit.

"That's what you've been up to lately haven't you? In your room the entire time? Planning something."

"Yes. I can't tell you what, but I can tell you I'm travelling to Poseidon's palace tomorrow first thing at dawn to begin investigating."

"Annabeth. Lord Poseidon is going through a hard time. He just lost two of his sons, and he hates your mother. Do you think he'll take kindly to you arriving there uninvited?"

"I'll never be able to achieve my goal if I keep thinking of what the Gods will or won't like at every step I take, Chiron."

"Okay, Annabeth. You're no longer a kid, so I won't stop you. But remember, no matter how many people you lose, there is always enough left to fight for, people worthy enough to live for."

"I'll bear that in mind Chiron."  
Annabeth nodded and got up, about to go to her room. Just then Chiron interrupted her "I'm sorry for what I had to say today Annabeth, I hope you understood why I had to do it. I loved and will always love you like a daughter. I've already lost many children. Please don't die Annabeth."

"I won't. Just let Jason, Piper and the rest of my friends know." She whispered, and left the big house, readying herself for tomorrow's suicidal task.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of a forest at a location listed in no map, lay a young woman, unconscious and injured. Her head injury suggested she'd been knocked out with a blow on the head. From behind. ' _Coward_ ' She'd thought before she'd passed out.

Now she was coming out of her unconscious state. She groggily sat up, but being a warrior, she became alert to her surroundings immediately. Realizing she was in the middle of a forest, she tried to sit up straight but ended up hitting her head on something.

She realized something then- she was captive, in a cage which she assessed to be made of some kind of material she'd never ever come across or heard of. She was just about to scream for help when she heard weird gurgling noises. Weird to the inexperienced of course, the woman soon deciphered them to be the laughter of dracanae.

A few moments later the laughing creatures came into her view. The dracanae sneered and wrinkled their noses when they saw that their captive had woken up.

"My my. Look who isssss awake." One of them hissed.

"You captured your death. I hope you already dug your graves before coming here." She challenged.

"Oh don't worry about ussss. You know, this cage is unbreakable. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't open it to have a bit of fun with you." The other hissed.

"Shut up, you two. Master would be very displeased if he heard us talking about killing her. And if master reported us to _him_ , we'll have the worst possible fate, even in Tartarus." the third one shuddered at which the first two shook in fear and nodded. Just then a large group of monsters appeared out of a clearing. Hellhounds, wolves, telkhines, an assortment.

A group of telkhines in armour appeared out of the woods at last, and in between the group was a man in Greek armour and a mask that covered his entire face. It looked like the telkhines were guarding this man. The monsters regrouped into a gathering and the telkhines went on to join this group, standing at the forefront.

They all bowed down. "Master. We have her. What do you need now?" one of the three dracanae the girl was talking to, spoke up, still bowing down to the 'master'.

"You did your job. Now leave, you all know where to travel. Gather there and wait for me. I have some business to attend to here, and I have to talk to our Lord about beginning phase two of the plan."

In a few minutes, the whole clearing was empty of monsters except for the armoured telkhines who were apparently the man's bodyguards, and of course the captive, whose fate the man held in his hands.

He walked up to the cage and gave a gentle kick, earning a growl from the girl, who was until now quietly soaking in whatever information she could gather from the meeting. She had no idea what was happening. She had recently heard of her brother's death, and shattered, she was travelling in a forest to wrap her mind around it. Her emotional state had made her suffer a lapse in concentration, and she was beaten by the stealth of her attacker who hit her hard on the head suddenly.

"Oh, feisty much? Don't worry, you give us what we want and I promise we won't hurt you."

"What do you want?" She asked, even though she'd already made up her mind to not give the man whatever he wanted. She was just curious.

"I know who you are. I want your army's secrets. Numbers, formations, wake up time, sleep time, food habits, every single minute little detail. You give us that and we'll let you walk away free."

"You're crazy. You really thought it would be that easy?"

"As a matter of fact, I hoped it wouldn't be that easy." He gave a maniac laugh.

"Lord Tartarus will be very pleased to know he has a poor soul about to enter the depths of _him_." He sneered, sending chills down the girl's neck.

Tartarus. Another Primordial, one of the strongest, most evil. He wanted her army's secrets. And the whole demigod world had heard about the great hero Perseus Jackson's death. That could only mean one thing. Olympus was about to fall, and Tartarus was about to rise.

"Scared, little girl? Don't worry. I'm taking you to him. If you tell him everything, he'll let you go. You have my word." The man taunted.

"Like I will ever trust a word of mouth from the likes of _you_." She spat.

"You have to and you will." He said in a cold voice, then went as close to the captive's face as the cage would allow and whispered.

"You have no choice but to co-operate."

And he pulled off his mask, revealing who he was. And all that the girl could do was stare wordlessly, paralyzed at the sight, for she was staring at her brother, who was confirmed dead.

Thalia Grace, Lieutenant of Artemis and daughter of Zeus was staring in the sea green eyes of Perseus Jackson. The man she had loved as much as her real brother, the man she'd trusted the most, despite what her mistress Artemis considered of men. The same one who just announced was going to take her to Tartarus and torture her.

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED.)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3: When Friend Turns Foe**

* * *

(Recap: "You have to and you will." He said, then went as close to the captive's face as the cage would allow and whispered.

"You have no choice but to co-operate." And he pulled off his mask, revealing who he was. And all that the girl could do was stare wordlessly, paralyzed at the sight, for she was staring at her brother, who was confirmed dead.

Thalia Grace, Lieutenant of Artemis and daughter of Zeus was staring at her cousin - the same one that was confirmed executed. She was staring in the sea green eyes of Perseus Jackson. The man she had loved as much as her real brother, the man she'd trusted the most, despite what her mistress Artemis considered of men. The same one who just announced was going to take her to Tartarus and torture her.)

* * *

Thalia wordlessly stared at the man who was threatening her. For the first time in her life, she was feeling scared. Not for herself, but for her cousin.

What happened to him? One of the kindest guys she'd ever seen had murdered someone, was executed for that and now somehow was alive and in control of an army of monsters, serving none other than Tartarus - the same Tartarus who had made him endure so much agony and mental torcher while he was trapped in there.

And the worst part was that Thalia was almost absolutely certain that Percy was in no way possessed. Not by a God, not by an eidolon.

How was she certain?

Because his eyes were the same sea green colour they always were. Not golden.

Whatever Percy had done, whatever he was doing, he seemed to be doing of his own accord. That scared her. If Percy Jackson became an enemy of Olympus and allied with Tartarus and his whole army, the demigods would be facing practically the whole pit along with one of the most powerful primordials and one of the most powerful demigods of the century.

His pros weren't limited to his fighting skills. He was a great leader, and if he buoyed the monsters against the camp, he would have the perfect strategies in place to destroy his home. Ex-home, apparently.

"Percy. What is this? What are you doing? Why am I in a cage?"

"Thalia Grace. I don't know how you know my name, but I already told you what I want and why you're here."

"What do you mean how do I know you? I've known you since you were 13 Percy, you're my brother! What's happened to you? Why are you doing this?"

"Ha! Those lies won't get to me, daughter of Zeus."

He spoke the name with such distaste, Thalia winced.

"Master already warned me of all the lies you'd tell me to turn me against him. But get this, Lord Tartarus is my master, and my loyalty lies with him! You have done so much wrong in your life, killed so many innocents. You will be punished. You all will be. Along with that God forsaken camp and the Olympians themselves." He looked like on a role, venting out emotions that Thalia was pretty sure never existed within her brother. Hatred. For her, for the Olympians and the camps.

"What are you saying! Hear yourself, Percy! Killed innocents? Me? Tartarus has done something to you, Percy! Wake up and see-" She was saying desperately.

"Enough! I don't wanna hear another word from your mouth, you ruthless cold blooded murderer! Shut up, or I'll make you!"

That stung. And simultaneously pissed her off.

"Okay, Percy. Do what you can. I'm not shutting up. I'm not scared of you. Go and tell that moron Tartarus he has chosen the wrong person to interrogate. No matter what he does to me, I'll never ever rat my sisters out." She said and resolutely crossed her arms, at least as much as she could in her confinement.

"Oh, but it isn't gonna be him who'll do things to you, lieutenant. It's gonna be me. And a very special person who very recently regained his memory. Apparently, he has a score to settle with you." Percy smirked wickedly.

"You..? And regained his memory? Who are you talking about?" Thalia asked, genuinely nervous.

"Oh, you'll soon find out, Grace. It appears as if the year is all about people regaining their memories. Me, him and who knows how many more we'll find." He stared at her with utter hatred.

Thalia was so confused at this point, nothing seemed to be making sense anymore. As it turned out, she didn't have to use her head for much longer. Percy picked up a fallen piece of log and went behind Thalia.

"What.. What are you doing Percy?" She asked, rotating her head and looking in the direction of Percy.

"I'm making sure you're not too much trouble when we take you to Tartarus. Sleep well huntress, this is gonna be the last time you're ever gonna get to sleep. When you wake up, you'll find yourself in a location that might be worse than your worst possible nightmare." He gave a cruel smile, then with a snap he got the cage opened and without wasting a second, brought down the logon Thalia' head, effectively knocking her out. Percy picked the unconscious girl and nodded to his bodyguards, signalling it was time to go to Tartarus.

* * *

It was almost dawn at Camp half-blood and Annabeth chase was ready to leave for her solo mission to gain knowledge of the happenings at Poseidon's Palace and to find out what actually had actually transpired there. However, just as she left her cabin, all packed and ready, Chiron came sauntering over to her and stopped her.

"Annabeth. You can't go. Wait."

"Chiron. We talked about this. What changed within a fortnight ?!"

"A lot of things actually. Hear me out. I just got a call from Lady Artemis. Thalia has gone missing."

Annabeth dropped her satchel down in shock and dismay.

"Do you think... "

"I fear so. She has been taken by an enemy. Lady Artemis says there may be a new threat on the rise. She'll shed more light on the problem when she comes here."

"She's coming here?"

"In about an hour, with all huntresses. This will be the first time her new recruits will see camp. You know how each of her huntress' sparing Thalia was lost to the war against Orion. And now Thalia is missing. So she's a bit testy."

"You think this situation has got something to do with Percy?"

"A week ago the noblest and courageous hero of Olympus was accused of murder and executed. Now if reports are to be believed, the lieutenant of Artemis and daughter of Zeus has been taken. This is appearing to be more like a planned attack."

"That makes sense. What do the Gods have to say about this?"

"Lady Artemis is the first Olympian we'll have a chance to speak to about this. So stay and talk to her. Hear her out, then we'll decide what we should do."

"You're right. As much as I hate to wait, Lady Artemis will know much more than we know at this point."

"Okay. Now I'll go, I have to conduct classes."

"At this hour? What kind of classes?" Annabeth asked puzzled.

"Oh you know, teach the boys how to behave and give them some pointers as to how to avoid being turned into jackalopes by Lady Artemis." Chiron winked.

"Oh yeah. Go ahead, they'll need it." Annabeth gave a small smile. For the first time since Percy's departure, and Chiron's face contorted into a small smile as well.

Chiron left Annabeth to her own devices then, since he had to prepare for the arrival of Artemis and her hunters. Annabeth, having nothing much to do, proceeded towards the training arena to get some training in. Only after she kept her satchel in her room of course.

Three-fourths of an hour later, a conch suddenly blew, signalling an attack. The campers rushed without their armour, just with their weapons in hand. The sight that they saw was brutally terrifying and yet soul pleasing.

Brutally terrifying because a bunch of girls in silver armour with relatively unknown faces were mercilessly pounding the monsters black and blue, leaving a trail of monster dust in its wake.

Soul pleasing because the way in which the monsters were being annihilated made the campers glad that the huntresses were on their side.

Soon the monster army (which was an assortment of various species, about 50 in all) was finished off. A young teenage girl came out of the crowd with her bow in hand. She was also an unknown face to the campers.

Only when Chiron bowed before her did the campers realize her identity and followed suit. Annabeth was the first one followed by the rest of the camp.

Lady Artemis was in her 18-year-old form for the first time in front of the campers. "Chiron, campers, Rise."

"Milady, you and your sisters are welcome."

"No time for welcoming centaur. Let's go inside, we have a lot to discuss."

"Of course," Chiron said, and the campers parted way for the hunters led by Artemis. They followed, Annabeth and Chiron leading the way.

Once everyone was seated, Annabeth began "Lady Artemis, is it true about Thalia..?"

"I'm afraid so, daughter of Athena. We don't have much information, but we have enough to be afraid. Very afraid."

"Ever since Percy, the camp doesn't quite look like it should. The Roman camp has stopped visiting, they refuse to believe that Percy was involved in something so heinous, they've boycotted us. We are alone for now."

"I am aware. But I'm sure if a war threatens us, the Romans will step up. It's their job and their honour. As to Perseus Jackson's case, I have reason to believe that the Council may have made a very hasty decision regarding his execution."

Annabeth's jaw dropped and her heartbeats sped up, fearing her boyfriend was executed for nothing.

"Hasty? How so your majesty?"

"It is vain to ponder over what could've been. However, if only the decision would've been delayed, we would've had Percy in this fight, which I'm afraid is going to be one of the biggest wars we have ever fought. Then, regardless of whether he'd committed the crime or not, Perseus could've redeemed himself by serving the Council and gotten a clean slate."

Annabeth nodded sadly, her eyes holding agony and heartbreak. Although it was over a week, it looked like only yesterday they were sitting at the Poseidon table eating food, having fun and today he was gone. Just like that.

If only she knew.

"What actually is this threat that you came here all the way to discuss, Milady? And what are the reports on Thalia's whereabouts? "

"A meeting of the Gods will convene exactly a month from today when the summer solstice takes place. The threat looming above us is great. Rumours have started spreading, rumours of an ancient soon to rise and destroy Mount Olympus. Judging from past experiences and the speed and seriousness of the rumours, we have about a month and a half at max."

"We understand all that, but who is this ancient? Please don't speak in circles."

"I'm a bit hesitant to speak the name in front of the entire camp. I do not wish to give them sleepless nights."

"I think the campers are mentally strong enough. I've made them strong enough." Chiron said a bit offended.

"We'll see about that." She said, then continued

"We fear that Tartarus is rising." She let that sink in.  
A moment later, there was mayhem as the campers started freaking out. Chiron pounded his hoof against his wheelchair to silence the crowd.

"I can't blame the campers milady. If what you say is true, even I will have sleepless nights. Tartarus is no joke! Chiron exclaimed.

"Indeed, Chiron. We'll have to give it our best. We still have time. Train the campers, make amends with the Roman camp, we'll seek the support of the Amazons. We both have begun mass recruitment. These girls may be new, but Thalia and I have trained them to fight like demons."

"Is that all we can do? Just wait till the enemy attacks and then hope that we are strong enough to defeat them? No offence milady but it sounds like a huge gamble to me, especially against a being as powerful as Tartarus." Annabeth said.

"We can't do anything until the summer solstice. The Gods need to be made aware, then one of the possible outcomes, the most feasible will be carried out."

Annabeth nodded, while Nico, Jason and Piper were lost in thought. They were all of the same opinions that given the circumstances and given the recent mental trauma Annabeth had gone through, she wouldn't be able to make it through the war. Just then the conch blew, the senior campers and the hunters rushing out with their weapons drawn.

They were stunned at seeing the scenario though. A pack of hellhounds was chasing a teenage girl. The girl was trying to defend herself vigorously, but she looked to have sustained far too many injuries to be able to defend herself. The hunters and the children of Apollo began raining down arrows on the hellhounds. Soon enough there wasn't any monster left to kill. The girl, too exhausted and injured, fainted on the spot. Everyone rushed towards the girl to check out her condition, with Will Solace in the lead.

They got the shock of their lives when they realized the face of the girl though. They heard a few words before she slipped completely out of consciousness to leave them, if possible, even more stunned. Lady Artemis looked the most stunned. A makeshift cot was called and the girl was pulled on it and taken to the infirmary.

Eventually, the whole camp came to know who she was and the last words she'd spoken.

The girl was none other than Thalia Grace, and the last words she'd spoken were

"Percy and Tartarus... Tried to kill me..."

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED. IF YOU REVIEW AS A GUEST, I CANNOT REPLY AS I AM ONLY ABLE TO RESPOND TO REGISTERED USERS ON THEIR ID VIA THE WEBSITE. PS - I AM THE SOLE OWNER OF THIS BOOK ACROSS WHATEVER PLATFORMS YOU FIND IT ON.** **)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4: The Open Threat**

* * *

 _Recap: The girl, too exhausted and injured, fainted on the spot. Everyone rushed towards the girl to check out her condition, with Will Solace in the lead. They got the shock of their lives when they realized the face of the girl though. They heard a few words before she slipped completely out of consciousness to leave them stunned. Lady Artemis looked the most stunned. A makeshift cot was called and the girl was pulled on it and taken to the infirmary._

 _Eventually, the whole camp came to know who she was and the last words she'd spoken._

 _The girl was none other than Thalia Grace, and the last words she'd spoken were_

 _"Percy and Tartarus... Tried to kill me...")_

* * *

Emotions, ranging from shock and disbelief to confusion were felt throughout the camp. However, most of the campers had come to the conclusion of insanity. They dared not suggest it in front of Artemis, but nothing was hidden from the Goddess. She herself seemed at a loss regarding the situation. Percy Jackson hadn't fallen prey to some monster's random weapon after all. Her father's bolt, the bolt that had the capacity to destroy the whole planet had become the cause of his death. No deity or magic could bring him back from the dead, not even Hades. And neither magic nor some element could reduce much less nullify the effect induced by the bolt. The sheer power would render any such precaution useless. And even if he somehow miraculously survived the bolt, how could he have survived the fall..?

Artemis kept on pondering the scene of his death that had enacted in front of her own eyes. She couldn't believe the boy could have lived. However, if there was one person who's sanity was trustworthy beyond a doubt, who Artemis would trust with words and actions almost as much as her own, it was her sister. Thalia Grace was an extremely reliable lieutenant, one on who's word Artemis had the habit of deciding her course of actions. The fact that a word spoken out of Thalia's mouth couldn't be relied upon was very alien to her. "Well." she kept on assuring herself whenever these thoughts clouded her mind. "It's just a matter of time before she wakes up and then everything will be clear."  
Alas! She would soon learn something terrible from the Apollo cabin. Before that, however, transpired an event stranger than fiction, yet something that the Goddess of the Moon decided to downplay. Upon realizing a period of complete privacy, she created a rainbow, deposited a drachma and dialled her father to narrate the strange occurring of the day. Zeus' expressions, though, were not even remotely close to what she'd been expecting. The Lord of the skies looked unusually nervous, a bit fazed even. He composed himself almost instantaneously, but Artemis' trained eye missed no moment. She would soon realize how foolish she'd been to not further question her dad about this. She'd be a day late and a dollar short by then though, staring at a precarious situation with a cup of nectar in hand.

Leaving the IM with her dad aside, she decided to take a walk within the camp. Almost at the end of her walk, she saw Will Solace, the head counsellor is the Apollo cabin rushing towards her with mixed expressions of disbelief, worry, shock and a bit of fear. At that moment she knew that something was awfully wrong, something that had to do with Thalia. Thoughts like 'coma' and 'PTSD' started racing through her mind, but what Solace said stunned her even more than she already was, if practically possible.

"Thalia..gone...not in bed... " Will said panting.

"Breathe _boy_ , then explain clearly," Artemis said, irritated by his demeanour.

"Thalia is gone. She's not in her bed, we checked the washrooms, we checked the baths, she was nowhere to be found."

"What do you mean nowhere to be found! Someone must've seen her! Ask the whole camp if you have to!"

"Nobody saw her escape, nobody saw her walk the camp. She suddenly disappeared, not to be found even with the hunters."

Artemis' face morphed into various expressions, the most prominent of them being confused. "Didn't you assign anyone to look after her?"  
"The nurse designated to take care of her left for a moment, but apparently it was enough."

Artemis sighed in frustration. Just when she'd thought the day couldn't get any weirder, it got strange on a whole new level, even for an immortal. "What does Chiron have to say?"  
"Nothing, for now. He's just as confused as you are at the moment. And as we speak, he is deploying most of the wild along with as many campers as he can to find her. She couldn't have gotten very far."  
Artemis had a look of anger, the reason for that look above Will. "Where is Chiron?"  
"Uhh. At the big house maybe..?" Will spoke nervously. Artemis just disappeared, only to reappear inside the big house where Chiron was just about to send search parties. The group formally bowed, but Artemis spoke without addressing the bow.

"Chiron. Stop the search."  
"But. Milady, isn't Thalia missing?"  
"Chiron, did you see Thalia being brought in on that cot?"  
"Of course." "Did you see her show unwillingness in wanting to come to camp?"  
"Uh... Not at all your honour..." Chiron replied, confused as to where Artemis was leading him with this conversation. "Did you see some monster invade camp and capture Thalia?"

"Of course not!"  
"Very good. Then tell me Chiron, do you not think Thalia left camp of her own accord?"  
"Yes, I agree. But she was injured, she may be at risk if she's being stubborn."

"Stubborn how?"  
"We all heard what she said earlier today. Now I don't know how much of it is true, but the probability that she went to find Percy cannot be overlooked."

"Percy's dead Chiron! I saw him die."  
"But that's not what Thalia believes, and she left before you could explain anything."

"So what, she'll search for him for a while, then come back! She's no prison escapee, stop trying to catch her!"  
"I would, except that with Percy she spoke another word. Tartarus. I hope to death I'm wrong, but if her statement is to be believed, then Tartarus and Percy, or maybe some Percy lookalike tried to kill her. Maybe these two are working in cahoots to bring about something nefarious. And the only place she can find Tartarus or his ally is within the literal hell, Tartarus."

The colour drained from Artemis' face. She chastised herself for her slow thinking, apologized to Chiron for questioning his abilities and for delaying the search party. Leaving the room hastily, she hurried off towards her cabin. Just when she was about to reach, she realized her hunters would be having a ton load of questions for her, the answers to which were unknown to her. Not in the mood to deflect questions or showcase lack of knowledge, she decided to leave camp, go to some mortal restaurant and have some nectar. The nectar looked like a cup of tea to the mortals, so she didn't have to worry about that. The mist took care of everything. She was worried sick, hoping, praying to herself that Chiron's anticipation was wrong. She entered a mortal restaurant, snapped her fingers and a cup of nectar appeared in front of her. Just when she was about to take the first sip, a figure clad in a hoodie with sunglasses caught her attention. The figure was walking right towards her. Alert, she put the cup down, in case she needed her hands to fight off what or whoever the figure was. The figure came right in front of her and spoke. "Your hunter escaped before I could take her to Tartarus. Then she came back herself as if I were some kind of magnet. Now we have her." The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Artemis couldn't quite place it.

She growled "Who are you? How dare you talk to me like that! And where is Thalia?"

"Who am I? WHO AM I?" the figure whisper-shouted. "I am the one. The one that Zeus killed without cause, the one that was wrongfully convicted, the one that was murdered in cold blood. By Zeus. By the Council. By you! My Lord Tartarus saved me then. Helped me regain my memories. You all played with my life. You said I was some son of that Sea God when in truth I was the son of Kronos! Tartarus has shown me every facet of the truth, you can't fool me now." The figure growled back.

Artemis seemed speechless now, having finally placed the voice and the sea green eyes with the actual identity of the figure. His words, however, made no sense. A son of a Titan? Wrongfully murdered? Artemis realized that Percy somehow survived the bolt, but lost his memories. Then Tartarus got his hands on him and brainwashed him into seeking vengeance against the Gods. How he managed to survive Zeus' master bolt, Artemis didn't know. But what she knew was, if Percy Jackson calls Tartarus his 'master', he cannot be trusted. She couldn't believe she was having a reunion with the same man that had taken the weight of the sky for her. What a woeful reunion! As of now though, she needed Thalia back, so she was helpless to attack him. Maybe he realized this as well, hence this meeting. Artemis was smart, she decided on a negotiation approach to ensure Thalia's safety.

"You hold us accountable for multiple crimes. Maybe we did, maybe we didn't commit them. But that's not why you've come all the way here, to accuse us. What do you want?"

"You are smart. Straight to the point. Okay then, I'll be blunt. I'll tell you what's gonna happen soon, and what we need you to do. As you'd have figured out by now, there's gonna be a war. We, meaning me and Tartarus will destroy Olympus and the camps. What we need you to do is make our task easier and less time-consuming."

"Be precise, what is it exactly that you want?" Artemis asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I want you to spy for us. Give us every bit of information on the happenings of the war. The preparations, the army strategy, the numbers. In exchange, we grant amnesty to you and Thalia Grace."

"You must be crazy if you think I'd do that! You wanna kill Thalia, go right ahead. I'm sure she will understand. There are gonna be many heroes who'll put their lives on the line for their home during the course of this war. Thalia will be remembered as the first of them."

Percy hadn't expected this at all. He'd assumed Artemis would care. 'But of course, I was wrong' he thought bitterly. The Gods cared about no one. Or so he thought. Only Artemis knew how she'd turned her heart into stone to make this decision. She knew the risks, but somewhere deep within, her mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea of Percy hurting Thalia. "Where was this feeling when he was being executed?" She wondered.

Percy just sat up and was about to leave, but just before departing, he whispered a few words that sent a chill down Artemis' spine

"She won't be sacrificed Artemis. Trust me, there are worse things than death. If you ever doubt that in the slightest, come to visit me in Tartarus and you'll witness your worst fears come to life. As to this war, Tartarus is no joke. He emanates raw power, and our Army isn't exactly peanut sized. Go warn Olympus in that Solstice meeting you have. Do everything you can in your power. Yet, we will decimate you, annihilate you. Because no matter what you believe, we'll always have you right where we want you - beneath us."

Artemis just sat there stunned while she saw the back of Perseus Jackson retreat. She couldn't comprehend the transpired events. Percy Jackson was alive, and he was on the other side. The guy made toilets explode just when he was a bit nervous. Now to think that Percy would be actually villainous... She needed to talk to her dad about this. In fact, she needed a whole Council meeting in presence of demigods. Screw the solstice, this was an emergency. Everything needed to be out in the open. She rushed to Mt. Olympus to call for a meeting.

Meanwhile somewhere deep in some forest, a mechanical dragon had crash landed, the two riders - one girl and one boy, both unconscious. An army of monsters surrounded the duo, a hooded man in front of the group contemplating what to do with them.

"We could kill the boy, he's a powerful demigod. But the woman, she's a titan by blood and I can't kill her without master's permission. Leaving one alive will raise suspicion, though. Hmm, what to do, what to do... Oh yeah, I have a plan." the man who was clearly their leader smirked devilishly. He took out a syringe and injected it in the girl's veins, knowing the boy's technical background was strong enough to detect something wrong in his system. The content from the syringe entered through the veins, and the army left, just like that, not laying a scratch on either of them.

Percy Jackson had just injected the girl with a micro tracker and an audio device that would transmit audio within a range of 50 metres of the girl directly into the device connected to Percy's ear. Also, the girl's location would be available to him just at a tap of his fingers.

He knelt down and whispered in the boy's ear "Welcome home Leo Valdez, we're gonna have a lot of fun with your Oggygia Princess here. We have a score to settle, apparently, she likes to curse people a lot." Percy spoke bitterly, remembering all but that he'd suffered at the hands of the arai because of Calypso. Talk about partial memory... What exactly had Tartarus done to the hero of Olympus?

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME.)**


	6. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5: Course of Action**

* * *

 _(Recap: Artemis just sat there stunned while she saw the back of Perseus Jackson retreat. Her greatest fears were confirmed. Percy Jackson was alive, and he was on the other side. The guy made toilets explode just when he was a bit nervous. Now to think that Percy would be actually_ villainous _. She needed to talk to her dad about this. In fact, she needed a whole Council meeting in presence of demigods. Everything needed to be out in the open. She rushed to Mt. Olympus to call for a meeting. -_

* * *

 _Percy Jackson had just injected the girl with a micro tracker and audio device that would transmit audio within a range of 50 metres of the girl directly into the device connected to Percy's ear. Also, the girl's location would be available to him just at a tap of his fingers. He knelt down and whispered in the boy's ear "Welcome home Leo Valdez, we're gonna have a lot of fun with your Oggygia Princess here. We have a score to settle, apparently, she likes to curse people a lot." Percy spoke bitterly, remembering all but that he'd suffered at the hands of the arai because of Calypso. Talk about partial memory... What exactly had Tartarus done to the hero of Olympus?)_

* * *

As soon as Artemis stepped into the throne room she summoned all the Gods. A few moments later every God was seated on the thrones while Artemis stood in front of them, expectant expressions on their faces.

"So sis, finally found someone to marry or what..?" Apollo winked and smiled like the child he was. "Be serious Apollo." Artemis glared at her immature brother.

Before it could turn into a fight though, Zeus interrupted.

"Artemis, ignore him. Why have we all been forced to leave our domains unattended for a meeting when the summer solstice is pretty much just around the corner?" Zeus looked a bit irritated.

"Father. I think you would know. It's your bolt that has caused all this mess after all."

"My bolt? What do you mean?" Zeus asked though he was clearly hoping the conversation wouldn't go where he feared.

"I'll tell you from the beginning. A few days ago my lieutenant was captured by a new threat that I fear is on the rise."  
"Oh, not this again Artemis. Every time it's like you meet to hand us some new enemies. What if you're wrong?" Hera said, not caring a penny about what Artemis just said about a capture. Zeus paternal instincts though kicked in. "Wait, lieutenant, as in my daughter Thalia? What happened to her? Where is she now? Who took her?" He asked, pissed that some punny monster dared kidnap his daughter.

"I'm not wrong. Just like I wasn't the last time. I had to hold the sky to convince you then, but I was right, and we'll never know how much pain and suffering we could've avoided if just you'd all listened to me."

"Fine. We'll hear you." Hera allowed, while Zeus looked anxious about his daughter, still not having earnt a reply from Artemis.

The rest of the Gods were meanwhile something like this in front of Artemis:

Ares looked excited at the prospect of another war. Hera looked concerned for her Olympian family.

Zeus, Hades looked nervous. Zeus apparently because of Thalia, Hades was a mystery.

Apollo looked lost in his own world. Dionysus was sipping something and appeared bored out of his mind.

Poseidon looked depressed, having hoped to have a peaceful mourning period post everything that had happened.

Hestia was listening curiously, and Artemis suspected that she knew more than she let on.

Aphrodite was busy with her makeup while simultaneously ogling at Ares.

Hephaestus and Hermes were listening with mild interest.

Athena's gears were already starting to turn, her brain coming up with strategies even before the enemy was known.

Demeter didn't look interested at all, but then again, it was enough on her part to not be talking about cereals. "Father, Thalia's whereabouts are unknown as of now. She escaped her prison somehow, but left the infirmary and camp the moment she regained consciousness."

"Left, what do you mean left? Wasn't anyone watching? And when you say infirmary, you imply she was injured? Then why would she leave again without you or the hunters?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out. Chiron has launched search parties all over. She had some deep wounds that would take time to heal. We're positive she couldn't have gone off very far."

"Who captured her?" Ares asked the million dollar question.

Artemis took a deep breath before speaking "You're not gonna like the answer, but I have solid proof. She was captured by Tartarus."

The air was still for a moment, the only audible sound in the room being the Olympians breathing. "Artemis... Are you... Okay?" "Father, I swear if you don't believe me this time, I'm not gonna just sit back like the last time. I'm gonna take matters into my own hands, even if it means breaking the ancient laws. I can't sit back and watch the demigods being killed and captured like this once again.

The Titan war was nothing if not an eye-opener. Seriously, haven't you seen enough of your children shed their blood, sacrifice? I lost all my hunters last time, the only remaining one is in jeopardy. So just give me an answer. Will you hear me out or do I leave and do what I know is right?" Artemis gave a mini-speech, really pissed at such a lame response from her father.

"Artemis. Calm down, my daughter. It's not that we don't wanna believe you. But you're making this really hard for us by mentioning Tartarus. I mean, how can he fight when he cannot even rise? This is no Kronos, my dear. No demigod except one of the big three is powerful enough to host him, and we have sworn loyalty from all of them."

"All, really?"

"What do you mean? Artemis, all the known living children of the big three have sworn their loyalty to us." Hermes said.

"That's what we thought. Perhaps dad can shed some light on this one."

"What? Zeus? I swear if you have another child of yours hidden somewhere I'll-"

"Calm down Hera! I have no other child. Artemis! Stop speaking in circles and enlighten the Council now!"

"I'm speaking in circles? Why father, I'll be straight. I'm talking about the demigod that you supposedly killed but is still alive. I'm talking about the sea spawn Perseus Jackson."

For a moment the Gods stared at Artemis, then Hades of all the Gods spoke up.

"Artemis, first Tartarus, now this? Hear yourself." Although he looked a bit nervous. And then Artemis connected the dots.

"Of course, it all falls into place now, doesn't it? Dad's expressions when I said Thalia spoke Percy's name, his nervousness during this meeting, him not meeting my gaze at the mention of his lightning bolt, Hades' nervousness, everything.

He isn't there is he Hades? In the underworld?"  
The Gods took a sharp breath. Even Dionysus, who at first thought Artemis had lost it, coughed on his drink at the possibility of actually having to face a war against Tartarus with Percy Jackson as the host.

"Zeus. It's true that you're our King, but you have no right to hide such facts from us. You better have a very good reason for what you did, or you need to prove her wrong." Poseidon glared at his brother, clutching his trident tightly in his hand.

Tartarus and Percy teaming up to attack Olympus, not the ideal time for two of the big three to start a war. You could literally feel the tension in the throne room. Zeus, to everyone's shock though, just rolled his eyes at his brother.

"Oh, no way Poseidon. If we go down, you go down with us. Tell them. You said I'm your king, so I order you, tell them. The whole thing." Zeus said with narrowed eyes, giving Poseidon really no other choice.

"Alright. Artemis speaks the truth, and we the big three are well aware of the situation. Perseus Jackson is alive." Poseidon said and stopped.

"I honestly hadn't expected you to be a part of this Poseidon. Regardless, go on. He said the whole thing. This isn't even one fourth." Artemis glared at Poseidon.

The sea God sighed and continued "Percy was never killed by the bolt. Do you all remember how he died? He was by the window, and when Zeus fired the bolt, he flew a few feet in the air and dropped down on the ground, out of that window. We assumed he was dead. We left him there, thinking his soul would reach the underworld. After the meeting was adjourned, I came back. I decided that no matter what, he was still my son. He needed a proper burial. But what I saw stunned me. His body was nowhere to be found. At first, I thought Zeus must've taken him, so I went to see him. There I saw Hades, and he didn't look happy." Poseidon stopped and Hades took on from there.

"I wanted to see Percy's judgement for myself, curious as to what he'd get. However, when his soul didn't come to the judgement for a long time, I grew suspicious. So I checked everywhere. Long story short, I immediately went to Zeus to report that the boy was alive and that his soul never reached the underworld. We were still searching for him when we started getting reports that he'd somehow lost his memories and joined the enemy camp. All that Artemis spoke is true, we shouldn't have hidden it from you. Our new enemy is none other than Tartarus, and unless we do something about it, Percy is going be his host."

Tons of arguments and cursing later, the Olympians were on the same page. Percy needed to regain his memories and fight for Olympus otherwise they were all doomed. "Artemis, first you tell us all you know. You seem to have something more to offer."

"As a matter of fact, I do. I met Percy today."  
She said, then went on to say everything about that encounter right up to the part where Percy threatened Olympus and left.

"Percy has turned. This is bad. What do we do now?" Hermes asked.

"Nothing for now. As much as I hate to admit, there's nothing we can do even if we want to. Let's just prepare the campers for a war against their own hero and one of the most powerful ancients. Just like Kronos, the ancient laws state that unless Tartarus himself doesn't attack us we can't interfere." Zeus spoke. The Gods, though not entirely satisfied knew that there wasn't much they could do. So they just nodded and Zeus dismissed the meeting while ordering Artemis to go to the camp and train the campers.

Artemis reappeared in her palace and touched a new bracelet she'd just worn today. She'd enchanted the bracelet to look silver so that it's pit black colour didn't stand out. She wasn't proud of the purpose it served, but nonetheless, she spoke to the bracelet "I'm ashamed I'm doing this for you Perseus. I swear, if any harm befalls Thalia, I'll find you and I'll make you pay." She growled.

The bracelet, much to Artemis' shock spoke to her "You made a wise decision. I'm a man of my word. No harm shall befall your lieutenant as long as you do exactly what I say."  
"What else do you see me doing?" She snapped.

"Nothing. Good work. I cannot tell you how glad I am that you stopped me before I left that restaurant. Good to see how effective my threat was." Artemis could hear the voice of Percy - mentally smirking. She wasn't proud of it, but she had stopped Percy just as he was retreating in anger, despising the idea of being a spy less than the idea of Thalia being tortured in Tartarus. So she'd agreed to become his spy.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere close to Poseidon's realm in a forest on land, the big three had gathered to discuss something secretive. "Do you think any of them suspected our story?" Poseidon asked.

"I hardly doubt that. It was pretty convincing. Artemis' story about his lost memories also helped them be convinced."

"Yeah. All this while she thought Percy was threatening her. I can't believe she agreed to spy though." Zeus said, disappointed at his daughter.

"She didn't know the truth about Percy. And let's face it. My son can be pretty intimidating when he wants to be." Poseidon said proudly.

Zeus was just about to retort when a voice spoke from behind them

"I always knew that, but to intimidate someone like Artemis, that was the toughest thing I've ever done, and I've defeated almost every known monster so that's saying a lot."

The big three turned back and Percy walked towards them with alertness and a sword ready in his hand. He lost the facade soon enough though, and sheathed his sword. He proceeded with a carefree smile on his face to hug his dad.

"Hey dad, I've missed you so much."

"Me too son. How have you been? Tartarus giving you a hard time?"

"Nah. Stupid thals created a lot of problems for me though. I made her flee with so much planning, and she came back for me, that silly girl. Now, most of my time I have to make sure she's safe."

"You need to get her out fast. They need her here, and besides that place isn't safe for her."

"I know. It's just a bit difficult so soon."

"Okay, you do it in your own time. Meanwhile, what's next? Our plan working out fine?"

"Excellent." Percy smirked, "Tartarus isn't gonna know what hit him".

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME. PM ME IF THE PLOT GETS TOO CONFUSING FOR YOU AND I'LL TRY MY BEST TO CLEAR IT UP. PERCY JACKSON IN THIS BOOK IS SMARTER THAN WHAT RICK RIORDAN MAKES HIM BE, DEAL WITH IT.)**


	7. Chapter 6

**_Ch. 6:_ Phase Two**

* * *

 _(Recap: Artemis could_ hear _the voice of Percy mentally smirking. She wasn't proud of it, but she had stopped Percy just as he was retreating in anger, despising the idea of being a spy less than the idea of Thalia being tortured in Tartarus. So she'd agreed to become his spy._

* * *

 _"Okay, you do it in your own time. Meanwhile, what's next? Our plan working out fine?"_

 _"Excellent. Tartarus isn't gonna know what hit him." Percy smirked at the big three.)_

* * *

The big three had known for a while about a possible attack from Tartarus. All the murder accusations on Percy were untrue. The entire execution was faked, a plan laid down so that a stage could be set up where Percy would lose his memories and systematically enter the ranks of Tartarus and his army. That wasn't all of the surprises though.

The person taking care of Thalia in Tartarus right now was none other than Iapetus, the Titan that was pushed in the lethe by Nico, Thalia and Percy. Iapetus had come a long way since losing his memory. He'd befriended Nico, Percy and Annabeth. He'd helped Percy and Annabeth wade through Tartarus safely while sacrificing himself to Tartarus.

However, with the entry of Percy in Tartarus' numbers, Tartarus thought it best to give Iapetus another chance. He needed generals, and since the other Titans weren't destroyed by him but by the demigods, they'd never be reborn before centuries passed. Lucky for Kronos if he managed the feat even in a millennium. Thus the titan was born again, and unbeknownst to Tartarus, he had chosen to remain Bob. Iapetus was the same Titan Percy was referring to earlier when he'd threatened Thalia speaking that this was a year of lost memories being regained.

Bob had convinced Percy that he was with the Gods. That was one of the major reasons he could sneak out safely without worrying about Thalia. Once the meeting with the big three was over and he'd gotten the nod for phase two, he began thinking of ways to get Thalia out of hell. She was in a pitiful condition, but the place was literal hell. Just being in there and being against the pit was torture. No one needed to make you bleed or expose you to pain. He feared that if the release took more time, Thalia might suffer a mental trauma she could never come out of. Sure, he was trying to keep her safe and so was Bob, but they were running out of tiny unhurtful tortures that would look bad but not pain that much to execute on Thalia. And obviously, she wasn't even close to breaking. So if Tartarus decided to take matters into his own hands, they'd be in a load of trouble.

Phase two included infiltrating the secret places within Tartarus and finding out ways to destroy the pit. Percy sure wasn't going to host Tartarus, but there was gonna come one time when Tartarus would ask. He didn't wanna be there at that time. That was supposed to be the shock, one that would break his legs. Then the pit would be destroyed so that that would be the end of monsters. Tartarus wouldn't have a conscience then, so he would be destroyed along with the pit. A very far-fetched plan if you thought carefully.

Tartarus was basically the pit, and Percy didn't know how he could be inside a primordial without the primordial's knowledge. And he had to search every part of him. Easy peasy, right? Apparently, it's easier said than done, or so they say. This was only half the story of course. The rest was Tartarus. Even he had ordered the beginning of his phase two. Percy was torn in pieces between the phase twos.

However, he was more worried about Tartarus' phase two since it involved him going to one of the camps. With an army, to threaten them and try to steal their numbers. And officially announce that he's a traitor and soon-to-be host of Tartarus. As soon as he reached an opening in the woods, he sheathed his sword and muttered some words in ancient Greek, creating a small rupture in the mountain that lay ahead of him. Percy entered the opening and immediately went to see how Thalia was doing.

It took him a few minutes to walk that distance but turned out it was a great thing. He could already feel an idea shaping itself in his head. One that could begin Tartarus' phase two and help Thalia escape at the same time. He saw thalia's nose bleeding, wrists bleeding and her screaming in anger. Colourful words for Tartarus that was definitely not praise flowed from her mouth. Percy knew that Tartarus was an evil, cunning, egoistic jerk, but unlike the enemies he'd faced, Tartarus was not impulsive. He wouldn't wanna destroy Thalia just because she said some names.

But at the same time, he was pretty calculating. He'd have realized by now that Thalia is not at all being tortured as she should be in a place like Tartarus. Otherwise even her, as much great a warrior she is, would've broken by now. Percy and Annabeth sure would've, but they had each other. Thalia was no different from them. Sure, she was strong and brave and rash and fearless, but not enough to sustain Tartarus. And once the pit God realized that he'd come to her, break her himself, then Percy and Iapetus would be answerable.

The thing about Tartarus though was, he didn't get pissed off that easily. But if he did, he only had one punishment. Death. So he figured thalia needed to shut up, and he needed to talk to Tartarus about his plan. He beckoned Iapetus from his guard duty. When Thalia saw Percy, she stared at him with hate and disgust, but also a little worry.

She still thought Percy had been brainwashed.

"Iapetus. Shut her up before she pisses of the pit. I have a plan and I'm going to discuss it with Tartarus. Come with me. But shut her up first."

Iapetus nodded, gagged Thalia with a piece of cloth which muffled her insults and then they proceeded to meet Tartarus.

Both of them stopped outside of a room which Tartarus called 'the summoning room'. Whenever somebody wanted to discuss something, they were supposed to come here, stand outside and wait for him. He'd feel the presence and his voice would speak from the inside. Nobody was allowed inside, but Percy and Iapetus preferred it that way. Not because they weren't curious, but because the ones that went inside were unheard of since then. Never came out, were never reborn either.

"Perseus, Iapetus. Why have I been summoned?"

They bowed down (I know what you're thinking... Percy never liked bowing down to the Olympians but here he is, bowing down to the mastermind evil who wants to destroy his home? Well, let me tell you, undercover stuff is difficult. If he can hurt is own sister to maintain secrecy, he can surely bow. And if it saves the camps and the world, he'd bow a million times.)

"Lord Tartarus, I have a plan that can guarantee the success of phase two."

"Why do you need a plan Perseus? Didn't I tell you what to do? Go to one of the camps, threaten them with a huge army, ask them for support against the other camp. They haven't made peace yet."

"Yes my Lord, but that doesn't guarantee a success rate. I have something extra to add."

"And what might that be?"

"Thalia's state is a mess. The campers are all in a state of confusion. If they see her like this, they'll break. Your plan is to ignite one camp against another. Mine is to demolish half-blood."

"You want to show them the face and condition of Thalia Grace? What good will that do? If I've learnt anything observing the past two wars, it's that death makes your kind more nervous. They rally around a hero and double their strength by sheer motivation. I'm not a fool unlike my wife or children, I know the effect and power of love. Your plan might backfire."

"Your logic is correct my Lord, but you misinterpret my plan. They'll have a hero to rally around if I give them one. There's no one in half blood capable of leading. Piper sure is a good charmspeaker, but when they have a war against Rome, she herself will be torn because Jason will be torn seeing Thalia. Annabeth will be devastated on seeing me, so shall the hunters on seeing Thalia. And Chiron won't have a thing under control once the leaders are rendered mentally useless."

Percy and Iapetus couldn't see it, but Tartarus was smiling at them, beaming for coming up with such a wonderful plan.

"I underestimated you, Jackson. You're not underrating love at all, you're using it to exploit their minds. Magnificent. But then you understand that for this to work, you have to go to Rome first, without the daughter of Zeus. Convince them to announce war on the greeks. Then when the Greeks are torn enough, you go there with Thalia and demolish any hope they had. That way more demigods will join us, and it'll be much easier to attack Olympus during the war as they'll be torn between their Greek and Roman forms because of war amongst their children."

"That is precisely what we plan on doing. Under no circumstances should the Roman camp know of the capture of Thalia Grace. She is a good friend of the Praetor's sister - the amazon queen Hylla. So she'll most likely not support us if Thalia's situation were to be compromised. Could you tell all our numbers to keep their mouths shut during the meetings as a direct order from you? I'll have to lie a lot there and if one of them were to rashly speak, the entire plan will not only fail but even backfire in the form of a united front of demigods."

"Consider it done. Good work Percy. You'll soon get your revenge, you're working very hard for it."

"Thank you, my Lord. I owe it all to you. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to plan a certain downfall." Percy and Iapetus fake smirked.

"Of course. Go, Percy and Iapetus. My army shall not speak unless you command them to. You have my word."

"Thank you." Percy and Iapetus bowed and proceeded towards where they'd kept Thalia.

It was a perfect plan for Tartarus, absolutely flawless. Or was it?

The biggest flaw was the planners weren't thinking of Tartarus, but the plan sounded pretty full proof, right? So what was in it for Percy? Well, his smirk wasn't going away, so there was indeed something going in the son of Poseidon's mind. Once more, it seems that the fate of the world depended on Percy Jackson. Huh, what's new, eh?

 **(A/N: PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME.)**


	8. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7: The Anti-Greek Agenda**

* * *

 _(Recap_ : It _was a perfect plan for Tartarus, absolutely flawless. Or was it? The biggest flaw was the planners weren't thinking of Tartarus, but the plan sounded pretty full proof right? So what was in it for Percy? The Roman camp. He would take Thalia with him and keep her locked a little far away in the hands of a few monsters. Then he would speak in a way that only his friends could understand his plan. If they didn't, he would have no choice but to bliw his cover, bust Thalia out himself then wait for doomsday seeing as they didn't know of a way to stop Tartarus once he got powerful enough. So the fate of the world depended on Percy once again. Huh, what's new, eh?)_

* * *

 **Percy's POV:**

Thalia and a group of monsters along with me and Iapetus walked out of an opening in a secluded forest. We didn't wanna open the entrance too close to Rome as we feared the Romans might spot Thalia. I could see Thalia intake bouts of fresh air and even cough a little through the gag as soon as she got out of the nasty place and breathed some fresh air. Her hands were bound and she was in the centre with a few dracanea and a telkhine surrounding her.

Unarmed, she knew she was helpless to try and escape against this many monsters plus me and Iapetus. Iapetus had nudged her in the van as a telkhine parked it in front of us and she was seated right beside me with Iapetus in shotgun explaining the way to the driver. Yeah, telkhines can drive. And no, I have no idea what the mortals see. Maybe just an old, really ugly cabbie.

The drive was about forty five minutes, but me and Iapetus would abandon the van leaving Thalia in the care/hold of the monsters after about half an hour and walk on foot from there. In the van she was staring at me with so much distaste it was a bit painful to look her in the eye.

These looks after she thought I'd lost all my memories. Wow, if I'd really done this she'd have probably wanted to strangle me. She was still coughing, so I removed the gag from her mouth and gave her some water. So much unlike the sassy Thalia, she actually thankfully accepted the water and chugged it down. I thought she'd refuse or go even more classy Thalia and spit it on me or something.

Tartarus really affected her. Good thing she was getting out today. She didn't say a word, maybe fearing I'd put the gag back on. The van came to a halt somewhere on the way to new Rome and Iapetus and I got down. I had to reapply the gag and check her bonds. Lose bonds could make her attempt an escape. She didn't know Escape was on its way and I couldn't tell her. But she was too weak to fend off so many monsters alone. She'd end up unnecessarily injured if she tried to get away. All this while she didn't utter a sound, just kept staring at me, trying to tell me something with her eyes.

It was too painful to watch, knowing I'd done all of that to her. So I put the thought aside and decided to begin phase two of Tartarus' plan.

The van was parked under a tree with monsters guarding both insde and outside of the van. I and Iapetus started hurrying towards camp Jupiter. I had a plan to make Thalia's escape sound real without getting us on Tartarus' doubting radar. For that, I needed an old friend to help me out. I was meeting with him. Or it, if that's what you wanna call him. On walking further I saw him, just as ugly and huge as the first time. With no armor on.

The minatour.

He roared when he saw me but didn't dare attack since he knew what killing me now would mean. Tartarus is not exactly an ideal enemy to make. He's cold, kind, cruel, intimidating, powerful, amazingly skilled with a spear and a sword. His presence in the pit alone can disarm you. Oh, I almost forgot you guys already know what happened in the house of Hades. So you know how I feel every time.

So anyways, we just kept walking and he joined us. According to the plan, I was to go to New Rome with Iapetus or Bob to try and convince the praetors and the Senate to help me against the Greeks who have apparently 'wronged' me and are now summoning monsters to kill me. Tough to convince, I know, but when they already believe I was wrongfully executed, to convince them this isn't exactly a herculean task. Or a Percy-ian task, seeing as I've now practically done much more than that self-obsessed obnoxious moron.

The Minotaur was to attack after the senate meeting and I was to show how bravely I fought just another monster that was trying to kill me. It would of course re form in Tartarus immediately. Nonetheless, killing him was gonna be fun. The Minotaur hid in a far away bush, waiting for my smell to reappear after I went in so that he could attack me. Once we reached the gates, the guards stopped us and ask for identities.

I instead just asked for the praetors assuring them they knew me. They believed me when I showed them the SPQR tattoo on my arm. I'm sure Reyna would come out prepared, intrigued by someone who'd show the Roman tattoo but not speak his name, and Frank would just cautiously tag along.

I saw Reyna and Frank come with the guards in the lead. Once their eyes spotted me, they just kept staring me. Reyna was the first to recover, the words she spoke were so unexpected from her they almost made me laugh

"Are... Are you a ghost? Percy Jackson's ghost?"

"It's really me, Reyna. Hey, Frank, buddy. How's it going?"

"Ho... How! We... We were given the news of your execution by the Gods themselves!"

"Yeah well, turns out they failed. And now they're looking for me. To kill me for something I didn't do. Half blood won't support me. They all betrayed me, Reyna. Annabeth, Piper, Chiron, everyone."

"Percy, they would never! They're our best friends! Let's Iris message them right away and clear this!" Frank spoke for the first time.

"Right now as far as they go, I'm an escaped criminal. I've come here with critical news Reyna. News that cannot be spoken in public. Can you arrange a senate meeting?"

"Of course Percy, come in! We told you you're always welcome here! Besides, the senate and the Romans are pretty upset about your announced demise." Reyna said.

"Yeah, we were all pretty shaken up dude! Come in, the last time you were elected praetor on the battlefield you had earned quite many fans who'll be willing to trust you. Let's hear what you've gotta say in there."

"Thanks, but before I enter, you need to give my friend permission to enter," I said.

"What friend?" Frank asked confused. I looked around and was surprised that Iapetus was nowhere around here. I called out "Bob! Where are you? They're all nice people Bob, they'll understand! Come out you don't have to be sacred!"

Bob came out looking all alert and nervous.

While Bob sounded like a child's name, Reyna recognized him for who he was and shreiked "Holy Jupiter, he's Iapetus - the Titan of mortality! Percy, what's going on!"

Frank didn't wanna be left out in getting surprised "Dude! At least take out your sword!" He said while both praetors and the guards in the vicinity unsheathed weapons and sprang to action. I put myself in the line of fire and yelled "Stop. Reyna, Bob is a trusted friend. I told you how he'd helped me when I was in Tartarus by sacrificing his own life. We wouldn't have been here if not for him. He's a huge part of what's happening and what's about to happen! Hear me."

"We're listening, go on."

"Not here, in a meeting. Call one immediately. Matters of grave importance need to be brought to your and the Senate's attention."

"Percy, we can't let a Titan even enter the premises of New Rome let alone sit in our senate meetings! We don't disregard what he's done, but then we can't forget what he is either ."

'Why? It's frowned upon or something?" I asked stupidly.

"It's actually not allowed mate, we could lose our jobs, and all of us - including your friend, could lose our lives!" Frank said.

"Dire times call for desperate measures. If the Greeks can summon monsters to kill me, I'm sure you can allow a banished titan to ally with you. His life is at great risk and since he's been cast out of Tartarus he's just a regular mortal just like us, albeit more stronger and skilled."

"Greeks summoning monsters? A Titan cast out of Tartarus? You are making this unbelievable Percy! How much have we missed? I mean we only cut off from half blood since your 'supposed' execution. It's barely been 15 days!"

"This began a long time ago, Reyna. My execution, an attack on this camp, an alliance with Tartarus, all was planned. The Olympians decided they want only one group of their children alive. So they removed me out of the equation and fired up half blood to attack you. They have even enlisted the help of Tartarus for that. Bob, tell them."

And Bob spoke. "I know you don't trust me, I wouldn't trust me either. It's okay to be cautious. But now you know I'm a mortal just like you. I'll swear on the styx that I'm loyal to Percy and would never betray him. I also swear that it's true he and Artemis met at a restaurant. There were a lot of threats and intimidating. You wouldn't believe Percy could be on the giving end against a Goddess, would you? So you can guess what happened. Tartarus has allied with the greeks, and they cannot be stopped if they join forces." Iapetus ended, cleverly deceptive with his words.

"This is a lot to take in. We need to discuss with the Senate. Percy, come in. Let your friend wait outside for the Senate's approval."

So I went inside. Bob didn't mind waiting outside. I hugged Hazel on seeing her, said hello to a few guys I'd know earlier. Meanwhile, Reyna announced an urgent Senate meeting and in we went, not without me giving up my weapons though.

*The Senate meeting*

I had explained everything to the Senate so far. Just a repeat of what I'd told Reyna and Frank.

"Percy, we trust you. But how do we trust this Titan?" Hazel asked. "That's correct Percy. We don't doubt you, but what if even you are wrong about him? What if he betrays you? What if he is indeed working for the greeks?"

"Because if you unbutton his shirt, you'll see a stab mark right below the heart. I was just wandering in the woods looking for somewhere to crash, not knowing where to go or who to trust. When I saw him, he was dying due to this injury. He was bleeding out instead of blowing into particles, which was very confusing. I immediately stopped to help. Used some basic first aid and him being very powerful even if not immortal helped the healing process. When he woke up, all he wanted to do was kill me and Annabeth and then Tartarus. That's all he said while he kept attacking me."

"And yet here you are... Best buddies. How appropriate, especially when he was trying to take your life." One of the senate members said, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"I wasn't finished yet. Long story short, we had a small fight where he learned I was betrayed by my Camp and girlfriend. That's when he calmed down and told me the whole story. He was stabbed by Annabeth." I said dramatically. I felt like I needed to keep a book now for all the lies I'd spoken thus far. The only genuine words that I could remeber were probably "Missed you" When I hugged Frank and Hazel.

"Percy... How do you trust a Titan over Annabeth? I mean, I get that he sacrificed his life for you, but that was when he didn't have his memories. How can you trust him now?"

"Because since the time I've met him, Annabeth has tried nothing but to kill me and Bob has saved me many times. He even saved me from Artemis when she cornered me in a restaurant to pin my sister's disappearance on me."

"Your sister? Thalia Grace? Isn't Jason worried about her then?"

"Why would he when he is the one who planned it? You know Thalia, you think a monster could've gotten her? It was a demigod. Jason Grace. I can swear by the styx that her brother captured her." Yeah, I love the play of words. Even I'm her brother, hopefully, the Senate ignores that though.

"That's a lot to take in. Give us time to think about what we can do now Percy."

'Take all the time you need, just know that while you're busy planning, they're gathering numbers to attack you."

'How do we defeat them with Tartarus allied against us?"

"Take the attack to them, take them by surprise and finish them. That way the monster army will be in a disarray and you'll have the advantage."

Reyna just nodded at the suggestion. I left the Senate meeting to let them discuss. The meeting was soon over and a confident Reyna approached me.

'The Senate has decided to trust you. They never fully trusted the Greeks, but they did trust you. They practically raised you to Praetor, so the Council unanimously decided to go with your word."

"They made the right choice. I swear they won't be disappointed. Now I and Bob need to leave. If I can find Thalia, I can prove my innocence. Who knows, she may be here somewhere hidden by monsters."

"You're correct. We'll send search parties immediately."

"That'd be great. Just remember, take it easy on her. She'll be a bit disoriented if what I've heard is true."

"And what is it you heard?"

"Her brother took her to Tartarus to torture her."

Reyna shivered at the thought.

"Gods of Rome, what happened to Jason! Why would he do that to his own sister? He used to love her!"

"Thals supported this camp. She was against the war. So the Greeks decided to rid themselves of Thalia along with me."

"We'll find her and keep her safe."

"Listen. As a personal favor to me, could you keep her in prison here till I get back?"

"Prison? She's no criminal Percy!"

"She'll be very disoriented and shaken up. She'll not be able to differentiate between right and wrong, good and evil. She may lay waste on your plans unintentionally. She could even endanger her life in the process. You know how strict the rules in Rome are. The Senate will have her head for doing something unknowingly, which I'm sure none of us want."

"It's a strange request, to put one of ours in prison. But unfortunately, I see the sense. I'll do it."

"Thanks. You have all been a great help." I spoke looking to both Reyna and Frank.

"Percy we need to leave now."

I bid farewell to Frank, Reyna, and Hazel then proceeded to leave the main gate after collecting my weapons from Terminus. Just according to plan, as soon as I bid farewell and left camp, the minotaur attacked me. I defeated it with a little help from Bob who was waiting outside. The Senate and the praetors of Rome started discussing something amongst themselves. "Percy, this proves your point further. The Greeks need to pay for this intolerable offense." Centurion Dakota said, for once not taking a sip from his Kool-Aid flask.

"I had not expected this. And as much as it hurts to speak about this for the people who once were my friends, the Greeks need to die, and we will make that happen." Reyna spoke the words harshly. She ordered a search party for Thalia, and we took our leaves after once again thanking them.

"Let's wait near a bush somewhere, hidden from view. Let them get Thalia then we'll return to the van and inform Tartarus." I told Iapetus once we were out of hearing range.

"Yes, that seems appropriate."  
Soon the plan was a success. The Roman eagles flew from the opposite direction and swooped in, Roman sentries jumped down and took the monsters by surprise. They destroyed the monsters outside the van. Looking at the commotion, the ones inside the van attacked and were subsequently outnumbered and killed. The Romans took an unconscious Thalia with them.

I'd purposely told Reyna to imprison Thalia for two reasons. One was obviously so she couldn't rat me out. The other was so I could call the Romans my allies with proof. During the war, the Romans would think Tartarus allied with the Greeks, while the Greeks would think the Romans allied with Tartarus. They'd attack each other and Tartarus would benefit. That's at least what dear old Tarty believed.

"Now we go and tell Tartarus, then go to the Greek camp. We have a war to wage, we've done half the job already." I said looking at Iapetus...

 **(A/N: I'LL CLEAR PLOT RELATED CONFUSIONS, I GET IT MIGHT BE GETTING A BIT CONFUSING FOR SOME. JUST FEEL FREE TO ASK. PLEASE REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME.** **)**


	9. Chapter 8

Ch. **8: Family Feuds**

* * *

 _(Recap: The Romans took an unconscious Thalia with them. I'd purposely told Reyna to imprison Thalia for two reasons. One was obviously so she couldn't rat me out. The other was so I could call the Romans my allies with proof. During the war, the Romans would think Tartarus allied with the Greeks, while the Greeks would think the Romans allied with Tartarus. They'd attack each other and Tartarus would benefit. That's at least what dear old Tarty believed._

 _"Now we go and tell Tartarus, then go to the Greek campus. We have a war to wage, we've done half the job already." I said looking at Iapetus...)_

* * *

 **PERCY'S POV:**

THE ROMANS were all pumped up to demolish Greece, and soon so would be the Greeks to demolish Rome. I and Iapetus were just out of Tartarus after explaining what happened at the Roman camp and about Thalia's rescue by them. I told him how I could use that to my advantage, and again he praised me. He surprisingly didn't say a word to either of us, saying we'd carried out our task pretty well but the monsters had screwed up. Now we were off to Greece with a bunch of monsters to fire them up to attack the Romans.

"Let's go. We need to get there and out before they realize that the Romans are planning an attack. Our presence might worsen the situation.

3RD PERSON'S POV, AT CAMP HALF-BLOOD:

THE DEMIGODS AT CAMP HALF-BLOOD carried out their daily tasks with plans of special training included in their daily activities to help them against Tartarus. The situation was pretty much the same since the day of the Olympian meeting. The emotions though were a mess. Annabeth and Chiron especially were almost robotic in their actions, the situation makes no sense to them yet their confused brains fearing the worst. Hunters of Artemis trained the camp, but their comments about Percy being a traitor weren't helping.

Jason had to pry Piper off of a girl when she overheard the hunter saying how this camp bred only traitors. First Luke, then Percy. You didn't often find Piper McLean of all people attacking others, that was a first. Annabeth didn't mind much. She was certain Percy had to be in someone's control and that she could make him see sense. For that, they'd have to meet though, and that looked highly impossible at the moment.

She and all her friends were just glad that Percy was alive. She decided to wait as long as it took. Turned out she didn't have to wait much longer. Her former boyfriend turned (rumored) traitor was just enroute to meet her...and turn all their hopes to crumbles.

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

Percy had a plan, but this time he knew he wouldn't need to lie a lot. The Greeks were impulsive warriors who thought little before acting. Just a little spark and they'd come out all attacking the Romans. When the van reached the outskirts of half blood hill, they stopped. He fished out an audio piece from his pocket and listened intently while also observing a red dot on an instrument that appeared a lot like a cell phone but was not. He turned to look at Iapetus with a mild look of disappointment.

"Technical error in the plan, we'll have to wait here for a while. If the timing isn't astute, we'll literally end up doing what Tartarus wants. There were no monsters in audible range while he said that, of course. He'd sent them to do a little patrolling.

Iapetus replied with a nod like he understood exactly what Percy spoke. Nobody, not even the Gods knew what his big game was. Iapetus did. Percy knew he'd have to tell the plan to at least one other apart from him so that his job could be carried out even if something happened to him. The red dot suddenly caught Percy's eye and he said "It's time. Let's hurry up and hurry back. We wouldn't wanna be present here when they receive guests."

Again, a nod from Iapetus and they both climbed down the vehicle and walked right into camp, leaving the monsters besides the van. Just like that. The Campers obviously were not expecting their enemies to walk into camp so early. They hadn't even put up guards or patrols yet, which Percy found very strange. Eventually, the campers saw who had arrived. Murmurs and whispers started, eventually spreading to Chiron and Annabeth and all the campers as well as hunters. People gathered around the two of them, some with arms and some with relief.

Relief that would soon turn into a nightmare. Annabeth came out rushing, saw him and was just about to go running to hug him when Iapetus drew a protective sword around Percy, forcing a stunned Annabeth back. The move also made almost every camper take out their weapons.

"Percy, my boy. What is happening? Lady Artemis said you threatened her, officially announced war on us after kidnapping Thalia! We know you'd never do that, so just tell us what really is happening? Are they forcing you? Blackmailing or threatening you?"

"Nobody can threaten an ally of Tartarus himself Chiron. I was foolish to do so much for the Gods. I understand Luke Castellan so much better now."

"Percy...what happened to you?" Annabeth said with tears running down her face.

"What _happened_ , Annabeth? They tried to kill me is what happened! If not for Tartarus, they would have actually succeeded. All that Artemis said is true. I've just come here to ask if you're willing to side with me. I've come here for you, wise girl." Percy said softly. He hated playing with her this way, he loved her with all of his heart and soul. But wasn't that the reason he was doing all this? To save his loved ones?

"Percy! What is wrong with you? Tartarus is the villain! You are our hero! You've always been!" Jason spoke.

"And see where it got me, Jason. Almost in Hades' realm."

"But you didn't die! Just give up all this and come back to camp Percy, we promise the Gods won't be allowed to lay hands on a single one of your hair!" Piper attempted to charmspeak. Percy lost his focus but regained it sooner than one would have thought possible.

"Piper, If it were death I was afraid of, I wouldn't have been what I'm today. It's not about my safety. It's about vengeance. I want my revenge at any cost."

"Jackson, we'll bury you alive. Stop this nonsense right away." Clarisse La Rue spoke up, surprising everyone. She tried to act tough, but her eyes clearly said she was shocked at the events occurring in front of her.

I was just about to say something when Artemis, who was extremely quiet because I'd instructed her to, spoke up "It's no use arguing with him. He's too far gone now. He took Thalia to Tartarus and tortured her there, tried to kill her. She said so herself, remember?"

"I did what I had to do. I'm neither ashamed nor guilty."

"You tortured Thalia? The one you could jump into Tartarus for? The very one who was as close to you as your real sister?" Annabeth spoke, but her voice sounded so broken and betrayed that Percy needed to get out of here before he broke and confessed how all this was a setting to keep them safe.

"What has happened to you Percy? Why are you behaving like such a monster?" Chiron asked, his voice so full of betrayal.

"Being a hero, my life since I was 12 has been miserable. In the end, the fates even thrust me to Tartarus. As if that wasn't enough, the Gods tried to kill me. It's not about half-bloods or about relationships any longer. It's about vengeance. I want my revenge Chiron. Revenge on Olympus."

"Bob. Are you seriously with him? Do you even remember me?" Annabeth asked Iapetus.

"You are Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena that I had helped escape from Tartarus. I remember Annabeth. I remember everything."

"Then why? Why are you doing this? Please don't do this. Both of you." Annabeth pleaded.

Percy honestly couldn't take it anymore. He needed to leave camp _fast_.

"Enough. We came here with a request. For you to join us. You have no chance against all of us. **The Romans have agreed to ally with us.** " I yelled the last statement to make sure everyone heard correctly.

"Impossible. They'd never-" Jason was interrupted by Percy

"-I swear by the Styx, The Romans have declared war against the Greeks. They have agreed to side with me. In fact, I also swear that Reyna agreed to keep Thalia imprisoned IN new Rome when I got her out of Tartarus." I finished, thunder boomed in the sky but I was unharmed and unscathed, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind.

"We got Thalia out from that hell hole, now we are giving you a chance. Your Gods will soon be rendered useless once again when their children are made to fight. While that happens we'll walk into Olympus and destroy it. You have no chance of winning." Iapetus added.

The whole camp including Artemis and Chiron were rendered speechless.

"I've come to you with an offer. Those of you who wish to support us can join our hands. There won't be second chances. Anyone?" Percy spoke.

When no one spoke up for a while, Percy continued

"Very well. You have chosen this fate upon yourself. Prepare yourselves. The Romans will attack in two days' time. At sunset. When the moon is bright in the sky, that's when we, led by Tartarus shall arrive. And destroy all lucky enough to have survived the Romans' onslaught and insane enough to oppose us. Goodbye and good luck, for, luck is the only factor you can depend on." Percy spoke.

' _And me_ ', He added mentally.

Annabeth fell on her knees crying, literally begging Percy, "Don't go down this path seaweed brain...don't do this to us...to me..." She sobbed.

"I still do and will forever love you. No matter what, you'll always be my wise girl. Trust me. I have to do this." Percy whispered, using up all of his willpower to not rush towards Annabeth and hug her, comfort her. He was himself crying from inside, unable to bear the looks of heartbreak he was given from his friends. From Annabeth. But he kept a stoic expression on his face. A tear was just about to trickle from his eyes, but he controlled it and said "I'm sorry. Perhaps one day you'll forgive me."

With those words spoken, he left. Left his friends, no, his family...he left his family _completely_ and _utterly shattered_.

He maintained a quick pace and left the camp, hurriedly returning to his van. The campers watched his retreating back until he was out of view. They could not believe what they'd just seen. Annabeth was still on the ground sobbing hysterically. Her friends were not in a position to comfort her though. Chiron had tears in his eyes, but he wordlessly walked back to the big house.

* * *

In the van, Percy couldn't take it anymore. Iapetus had smartly dismissed away the monsters on reaching the van first. As soon as Percy reached near the van, he climbed inside. Then he cried. He cried his heart out, considering himself a monster for what he'd just done.

Those expressions from all of his friends, he had seen them so closely. Piper, Jason, Clarisse, the Stolls, Katie, every single one of his best friends. The teary eyes of Chiron would haunt him for eternity, he knew that. The worst one though, it was _her_. On her knees...

He was still sobbing hysterically, not only from the pain his friends were enduring at the moment due to him but also from the mental pressure he was in. Iapetus just sat beside him in the van, not knowing how to comfort a crying person.

"Percy. We are doing it for the greater good. It will ultimately benefit them. We will save so many lives if we achieve our goals." Iapetus suggested.

"I know...It's just...Their faces. She was on her knees, Bob! _On_! _Her_! _Knees_! For _me_..." Percy whispered.

It took a while, but the son of Poseidon eventually calmed down.

"Percy, look. Our plan will soon fall into place." Bob spoke, pointing to the screen of the cellphone-like object. The red dot was rapidly blinking, and Percy couldn't resist a smile at that.

"Calypso's tracker is beeping. This means-"

"They are here. Leo is here. That'll bring some comfort to the campers." Iapetus interrupted.

"Of course it will. But now that Leo is here, the prophecy can finally begin, Bob. The beginning of our own phase two has begun. We have to find Tartarus' weakness fast. Leo will leave no stone unturned in doing his job even if he has no idea about it."

"Oh yes, the prophecy. Finally Percy. It all begins now..."

As if he couldn't help himself, Iapetus repeated the prophecy,

 ** _"The earth shall break and part way for hell,  
_ _you will realize the lie in which you dwell.  
_ _The lost hero shall reunite friends and foes,  
_ _But suffer worse than death to his woes.  
_ _Indubitable, the sides may sound,  
_ _Misleading judgments shall lead to losses propound.  
_ _While Rome cringes in fright of the devil,  
_ _The sea's anger shall rid the world of all evil.  
_ _For destruction, for bloodlust the devil who pray,  
_ _Beware their life lightning shall slay."_**

 **(A/N: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PROPHECY? COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW YOUR GUESSES. ALSO, LET ME KNOW HOW THE PLOT IS SHAPING UP. ALSO, I HAVE ANOTHER BOOK HERE, IT'S A CHAOS STORY AND BARRING ONE INEVITABLE CLICHE, I PROMISE IT'S NOTHING LIKE YOU HAVE EVER READ, SO GO AND CHECK IT OUT!)**


	10. Chapter 9

**Ch. 9: Trust And Belief**

* * *

 _(Recap: "Percy. We are doing it for the greater good. It will ultimately benefit them. We will save so many lives if we achieve our goals." Iapetus suggested._  
 _"I know...It's just...Their faces. She was on her knees,_ Bob _! On! Her! Knees! For me..." It took a while, but Percy eventually calmed down._  
 _"Percy, look. Our plan will soon fall into place." Bob spoke, pointing to the screen of the cellphone-like object. The red dot was rapidly blinking, and Percy couldn't resist a smile at that._  
 _"Calypso's tracker is beeping. This means-"_  
 _"They are here. Leo is here. That'll bring some comfort to the campers." Iapetus interrupted._  
 _"Of course it will. But now that Leo is here, the prophecy can finally begin Bob. The beginning of our own phase two has begun. We have to find Tartarus' weaknesses fast. Leo will leave no stone unturned in doing his job even if he has no idea about it."_  
 _"Oh_ yes _, the prophecy. Finally Percy. It all begins now...")_

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

AT CAMP HALF-BLOOD, WHILE PERCY WAS STILL IN THE VAN WITH IAPETUS:

"Annabeth, get up and stop crying. I'm sure the Fates aren't that cruel to you." Piper was trying to reassure her friend. Though herself in despair, Piper knew she had Jason. As a charming speaker, she also considered it her job to try and console everyone. Spread as much comfort as possible. To a great extent, she knew she would have success.

Annabeth and Chiron were altogether a different story though. Such was Annabeth's grief, even charm speak that had rendered Gaea helpless was unable to provide her some relief from her suffering. Piper was trying her best, all the campers who'd been Percy's best friends were trying to think straight. These campers also happened to mostly be the senior campers of the cabins, so they knew they had responsibility. A war was approaching in two day's time, much earlier than either of them had expected.

To say they weren't physically ready would be an understatement. The training they had been doing was good, but just hearing the enemy's name sent goosebumps down their spine. Especially those who had heard Percy and Annabeth recount the adventures of their journey in Tartarus appeared to be at a loss as to how they could win the battle.

Just then some people started screaming, but most of them in happiness. With all that had happened, an event that could make the campers jump in delight was totally unexpected. Annabeth and the rest were confused, even Chiron had to come out of the big house to see what the commotion was about. They didn't have to wait long, because soon their eyes caught sight of a bronze dragon, one that Annabeth, Piper, and Jason knew all too well.

"Festus," Piper whispered. They had been right in not underestimating Leo, for he had successfully visited a place that no man could find twice, brought back the love of his life and was standing right there in front of them holding Calypso's hand.

"Hey, guys! Miss me!" He smirked. Piper and Jason rushed to hug their best friend. Even Annabeth's face contorted into a small smile and she gave Leo a hug.

"Leo! I can't believe it's you!" Nyssa, cabin 9's head counselor and Leo's cabin mate and close friend spoke, actually poking Leo to be sure he was indeed real.

"Hey, Nyssa! Yeah, it's me. Leo Mcshizzle's back, baby!" He screamed delightfully, joyous on seeing his old friends back. He introduced them to Calypso, who the camp welcomed with warm smiles. Of course, Leo had to glare at a few guys who were eyeing his girlfriend, but soon they got the message. This particular Titaness was taken. Even Artemis shook her hand, though she didn't speak a word, just nodded as welcome.

Leo suddenly asked a question that deflated the mood in the camp like a sharp pin would deflate, or rather blow up a balloon. "Where's Percy, Annabeth? Don't tell me he's on a quest or something, I wanna meet him right now, then let's visit Rome! Dying to meet Hazel and Frank!"  
Chiron, who was standing there quietly after formally welcoming both the dragon riders at camp spoke in a depressed voice

"A lot has transpired in the past few days Leo, and you need to be filled in." He then went on to narrate the entire story right from Triton's death up to a few moments ago when Percy had left camp. To say that Leo was dumbfounded, speechless, stunned, all the adjectives would be an understatement. And nobody blamed him.

"This was so not the kind of reunion I was expecting..." Leo said shocked.  
"I hate to say this, child, but maybe you and your lover should have stayed at Ogygia...as if the horrors you were made to see in the last war weren't enough..." Chiron spoke for the first time since Percy's visit. So depressing was his tone and his words emanated such sadness that the Leo felt his heart would cry.

Unfortunately, he knew that Annabeth, Jason, Piper and even himself would have such voices when they spoke. Nonetheless, he could still not believe Percy could ever harm them. He found his voice and spoke, his tone surprising even himself,

"Gather your emotions, bundle them and keep them aside. We face one of the worst wars we have ever faced. Percy has led us multiple times, and we have all followed him with blind faith. He suppressed the sadness of insurmountable losses and played down hardships like a pro, not once, not twice but always. And the way you say, they had a recorded confession showing he agreed to his supposed crimes, then while venting out all his anger he didn't once bring the videos up..."

"Where are you taking this conversation, Leo?" Calypso asked as she could see the others had questions but were too numb to ask.

"Sunshine, just think...he confessed, then all the while he was supposedly venting out his anger on the Gods, not once did he mention that he was forced to give a confession. How likely is it that you won't remember the events of a few days ago while venting out your anger if those minutes were forcefully obtained from you?"

"Maybe he didn't consider that as huge?" Piper spoke softly.

"Pipes, this is Percy we're talking about...he may act dumb but we know he's smarter than he let's on and usually nothing slips by him."

"So he didn't mention the fact that he was forced to confess. Then what are you suggesting Leo? I honestly don't get you." Now it was Jason's turn to speak.

"That may be...just maybe it wasn't a forced confession after all..."

"Of course it wasn't, boy! We are Olympians, not criminals! How dare you all suggest such a vile thing." Artemis, who was controlling her rage till now spoke.

"Lady Artemis, might I remind you that you haven't exactly been pre-informed of what happens on Olympus. You didn't know about Percy till it was too late." Chiron spoke, politely but firmly. He was certainly not going to let Artemis kill one of his campers in anger. That shut Artemis up, but Annabeth was in a different situation altogether.

"Leo...what do you mean by 'it wasn't a forced confession'? Are you implying Percy killed Triton in cold blood? That he actually murdered an innocent! Because if yes, then so help me I will break every single bone in your body and-" Annabeth interrupted a scared Leo who was raising his hands in surrender.

"I'd be damned if the idea ever occurred to me Annabeth! But what if Triton wasn't an innocent? What if Percy is playing a big gamble here? Maybe he just needs us to trust him."

"He swore on the Styx that the Romans had allied with him that they held Thalia prisoner. Have anything to say to that?" Jason argued, worrying about his sister.

"Dude, even the Gods don't have all the answers...I am just a demigod. But my theory is that if he trusts the Romans, he wants us to trust the Romans and in turn him. Besides, he swore that Romans had allied with him, not with Tartarus...maybe he's playing Tartarus..."

"Your theory sounds exactly like the stupid, selfless, suicidal thing Prissy would do, but it's a bit too farfetched Valdez. Sounds like all but a glimmer of hope, a desperate attempt at convincing ourselves that we have him with us. Tartarus is neither an amateur nor a fool. And honestly, neither is Prissy so smart." Clarisse spoke.

"Hey, farfetched or not, it isn't a matter of theory. It's a matter of how well you know and trust Percy Jackson. If you trust him as much as I do, then Percy's actions should scream absurd and weird to you, just like me. I can't stop you from calling him a traitor if you have lost faith in him so soon. But when calling him that, I suggest you find out who led an army of 40 campers against thousands of monsters and Kronos, or who led new Rome to victory against Poryphyrion, or who was one of the Prophecy Seven, or who went on an involuntary unplanned trip to Tartarus, the literal hell just because he couldn't let his girlfriend fall alone...and you all know if I counted every monster he's ever killed we could well be here for the remainder of the day...So chose - Trust him and try to talk it out with the Romans when they arrive, or brand him a traitor and attack them straightaway. That's all I have to say."

And with that little speech, off Leo went, holding Calypso's hand firmly and going to cabin 9. He had already decided Calypso would stay here in a new bunker, even though she wasn't a daughter of Hephaestus. He didn't care what the Olympians thought, with both of the camps in chaos, he needed her.

He may act childish, but his journey to Ogygia and back had made him more mature. Besides, he was confident of his theory. He trusted Percy and believed that never ever could Percy take away an innocent's life. But what if he was wrong? What if Percy's plan all along was to scatter their brains and divert them from the war?

There were a few things he knew for sure; 1 was that there would most certainly be war; 2 was the Romans would be involved and so would Tartarus; 3 was Percy would rather die a million painful deaths rather than kill even one innocent.

Now the things he did NOT know: 1 was the number of monsters they would face; 2 was whether his theory of Romans being friends was correct or not - if it wasn't but the camp ended trusting him they were all doomed; 3 was if Percy was really the same guy. His entire theory revolved around the fact that Percy was still the same guy he was during the war with Gaea. But what if he had changed?

Could a man change so much that he would declare war on his home and friends? Luke had in the past, and by the time he'd realized his mistake too many lives were destroyed...Yeah, he gave his friends a theory, but only because he knew they needed some hope if they were to prevail in the upcoming war. In truth even he was not a 100% certain about his theory...

When the Hades did Leo Valdez get so wise?

* * *

MEANWHILE, SOMEWHERE NOT FAR FROM CAMP, IAPETUS AND PERCY HAD AGAIN DISMISSED ALL THE MONSTERS AND WERE PATIENTLY LISTENING TO LEO'S WORDS, HAPPY THAT THEIR PLAN WOULD SOON TASTE SUCCESS.

AFTER LEO HAD STOPPED SPEAKING, Artemis had contacted Percy through the bracelet and told him what happened at camp just like she was supposed to, only she lied. Percy was at first shocked but didn't say anything. They had heard Leo through the little piece of technology they had injected in Calypso's veins. Percy smiled and thanked Artemis. The Goddess thought Percy was happy with the information and thus the thank you. In truth, however, Percy had thanked her unknowingly for not betraying Olympus.

He realized it was her plan to misguide them all along. He also realized Artemis hadn't believed a word Leo had said. Considering she was a man-hating Goddess that was no surprise that she didn't have faith in a man.

Either way, the plan was now in place, and Percy could see them succeeding already. With a smile on his lips, he traveled to Tartarus, believing in himself and Iapetus to somehow find Tartarus' weakness.

 **(A/N: I KNOW IT'S NOT VERY EVENTFUL, BUT THIS CONVERSATION WAS NECESSARY. REVIEW IF YOU LIKE WHERE THE STORY IS GOING.)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10: To Stun Hell We Go**

* * *

 **3rd PERSON'S POV:**

A day had passed and both the camps were preparing for what was easily their most difficult battle yet. The Romans had planned their travel to Greece so that they would reach there just at the time Percy had promised them. Thalia was kept imprisoned in New Rome courtesy of Percy convincing Frank that she was traumatized and thus mentally unfit for a fight. It took some convincing, but in the end, the praetors ended up accepting that she would only endanger herself in this state.

As for Thalia, she didn't know what the Hades was happening. She was relieved to see the Romans rescue her, but then she was immediately imprisoned. No words were spoken, no explanations provided to her. Just like that, she ended up being rescued, then again rotting up in a prison cell.

She was provided food and fresh clothes daily, was never ill treated. What kind of prison did that? In fact, even Tartarus hadn't been that bad. All those attempts to interrogate her, they were so futile and the experience itself wasn't that bad. At least compared to what she'd heard from Annabeth and Percy. _Percy_. Now, what was he up to? She was so pissed off at him she vowed to herself that she'd strangle the son of Poseidon as soon as she got the opportunity. Meanwhile, she could just wait and see where time led her.

* * *

"It's done. The monsters are rallied and ready to attack at your word Percy." Iapetus said in Tartarus where the monster army was getting ready for battle. Percy was ordered to lead the battle, Tartarus so confident of a victory he had taken no oath from Percy to become his host as soon as the war ended. Tartarus was very smart and calculating unlike their old foes, but he seemed to trust Percy too much.

They both went to Lord Tartarus and Percy spoke

"My Lord, preparations for your victory have been made. Only a matter of time before the camps destroy each other and half our army destroys the remainder led by me while the remaining led by Iapetus attack Mt. Olympus."

"That is good. Now go to Half Blood alone and see the status of the war. As soon as the war starts, return here and lead the monsters out of here and onto the remaining campers. Iapetus, go along with him." Tartarus spoke in a commanding voice.

"Of course, my Lord, that is precisely what we planned on doing." Percy smiled. Once the titan and the demigod left Tartarus, Iapetus was in splinters, laughing his head off. Soon even Percy joined in, unable to control himself due to Tartarus' stupidity.

"I can't believe he himself sent us out while we were conjuring ideas to leave the place! This was so damn easy!" Iapetus exclaimed.

"Dam easy." Percy smiled, remembering the old joke. When Iapetus looked confused, Percy dismissed the topic and said

"Come now, Bob. Let's go. We have to meet and convince my very angry sister that I am with the Gods. That is, if she doesn't kill me on sight first, coz as far as I know her, that's exactly what she must have planned." Percy shuddered at the thought.

"Are you going to give the sword to her?"

"She seems right for the job. And since most of the camp Jupiter must be empty barring a few who must have stayed back as a defense, we will also get privacy."

"Hmm, Indeed. Okay, let's not waste more time. Soon, if the plan works, the Greeks and Romans will have made peace and will be out for our heads. We have to give the weapon to Thalia and send her to Olympus to warn the Gods and wait for backup while we get back to Half Blood and reach there with that backup."

"That was...confusing...but yeah. Let's get going."

Soon, the two reached the Roman Camp. The guards didn't stop them considering them allies. They got a few questioning looks seeing as the war was about to begin but two strong warriors were still here. Percy didn't bother responding.

"We have come to discuss something with Thalia Grace. If she is fine then we shall take her with us." Iapetus said, clearing doubts. They asked the guards where she was and proceeded there. Percy instructed the guards to leave them alone for a few moments and they complied. She was asleep, snoring in her sleep. Once alone, Percy carefully walked to her prison and gave it a shake.

"Why don't you unlock the prison? We took the keys from the guard for a reason right?" Iapetus said.

Percy shivered at the suggestion. "Just let her wake up and you'll see," Percy replied.

"Uh, Thalia..? Thals? Wake up, sis..." Percy nervously whispered. Iapetus just stared amusedly at his friend's antics and fear.

Thalia soon woke up after some more whispering and banging her cellar. She sat up groggily and looked around only to find a warmly smiling Titan and a nervous looking traitor/cousin. At first, she just stared at Percy for a while, then with all the strength she could muster, she jumped on the prison's door and angrily tried to grab Percy by the neck to kill him. Percy was expecting this and was at a safe distance from the prison, while Bob rushed back a few steps in shock.

"Still wanna unlock the prison, Bob?" Percy mocked

"Uh, no thanks..." Bob replied with obvious shock.

Meanwhile, Thalia was angrily shouting profanities at her cousin. Percy waited for her to calm down, which took about fifteen minutes. Once she calmed down, she angrily huffed and sat in the cellar, tired, glaring a hole through Percy's head.

"Iapetus, go and do it. Just remember the guards don't notice you, they may not take kindly to that."

"SO smart of you to let me know that the camp guards won't allow me to rig their camp with explosives and that I need to do it sneakily Percy." Iapetus rolled his eyes, but left the room and got on with the job. Thalia hadn't heard this.

"Thalia, listen to me very carefully. Things are not the way they appear. We are amidst a war that cannot be won without you. You have a very pivotal role to play."

"What, your moron of a master wants me to sacrifice myself or some shit like that Jackson?"

Percy shook his head "Thals, I'm not a traitor. Please hear me out. I'm not following Tartarus' orders. I'm following the Big Three's orders."

When Thalia looked at her brother in confusion, Percy began to explain his whole plan right from her capture to injecting Calypso to the sword he currently held in his hand.

"So that's basically it. Now we need you to go to Olympus and warn the Gods, keep this sword with you at all times. It is made up of chaotic platinum and Stygian Iron. This combination can be lethal to a God or Goddess, but most lethal to Tartarus." He finished while also unlocking the prison. As soon as he did, Thalia rushed towards him and encased him in a rib crushing hug.

"I'm so sorry for all that I said to you earlier, kelp head. I had no idea you'd become so smart. It was a great plan and I'm sorry I ever mistrusted you." She said.

"You don't have to apologize Thals. I'm very sorry I had to keep you in the dark. I'm sorrier you had to endure Tartarus. You're one of the strongest people I know, so I had to choose you. I knew to break you would be nearly impossible."

"You weren't even trying purposely. Now I realize, all those petty attempts to make me talk. They just looked nasty but were in fact not that painful."

"I would never hurt you, you're my sister and best friend. I just hope you'll eventually forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive kelp head. You did all this to save our lives. We owe you our lives. Now you get going Perce. We can talk about this post the war. Go and save Half Blood. I'll go to Olympus and do what you need me to do."

"Thanks, Pinecone face. We'll talk later, remember that only the big three know of the plan and you need to keep it that way until I get back. Take care."

"Okay, You too take care kelp head." Just then, Iapetus came back and nodded at Percy looking satisfied.

"It's done, Percy. We should get out of here now."

Percy nodded, hugged Thalia once more and set out to complete the final phase of the plan.

And with that the three left the wretched cells, Thalia breathing the fresh air without any kind of confinement or restraint for the first time in weeks. Percy went to the guards and asked for the man in charge. When he arrived, Percy said seriously "We're taking Thalia, the war will be a big one. Listen, reports suggest there will be an..."

* * *

As soon as they left camp, they went different ways - Thalia towards the empire state building and Bob and Percy to Camp Half-Blood. Percy and Iapetus crushed a special pearl given by Hades and directly teleported to the half-blood hill. Percy immediately listened to the device as he knew Calypso would be where Leo was and Leo would be in the meeting.

He couldn't see anything from where he was standing but could see the Romans camped near the camp as if a delegation was sent in to discuss the future. What he heard through the device pleased him. The discussion was taking the direction Percy wanted to take. He could hear the Romans who had gone were Reyna and centurions Hazel and Dakota.

He guessed one praetor needed to be in charge outside if something bad happened during the meeting.

"Before we go in Bob, did you rig the dynamites as we'd planned?"

"Yes Percy, the detonation will be remote controlled, the power will be enough to destroy the whole camp," Iapetus replied,

"And I suppose you took care of the other location?" he continued.

"Oh That place has more dynamites rigged in there than possibly what the whole U.S. military possesses." Percy chuckled. The detonator was in the possession of Percy, he was just waiting for the right time.

Soon, the demigods had reached one conclusion - they were not supposed to fight. Unfortunately, Reyna was considering branding Percy a traitor. So Percy decided to change his approach. He went to Frank, who explained to Percy that the Greeks had flashed a white truce flag and wanted a word. Percy requested Frank to call all the Romans and hear him. While the meeting went on inside, here Percy smartly swayed all the Romans and Frank on his side.

While they didn't like being made a fool of, Percy knew the Romans fought for honor and what he did would earn him respect in their eyes. He explained every bit of his plan to the Romans, barely missing out on some things. They cheered for him, and just then Roman delegation ended the meeting. Percy advised the Romans to prepare to leave for Greece while he and Frank hurried to the Greeks and the Roman delegation, who were pointing their weapons at Percy.

Reyna screamed at the Romans to attack Percy, but Percy had known this was coming and already could see his plan taste success when the Romans didn't budge. Upon Frank's insistence, they lowered their weapons and heard Percy out. He again patiently explained everything, even swearing by the Styx to his plans and his loyalty to the Big Three, earning glares and violent behavior from his friends at first, but rib-crushing hugs later on.

"I'm so sorry wise girl. What I did was the hardest thing I've ever done. I promise we'll talk about this later, but right now the Gods and Thalia need us." She nodded, and just like that, as if nothing had happened they all started their journey to Mt. Olympus. Percy knew he had hurt a lot of feelings and would certainly have hades to pay for, but as of now all his friends were matured war veterans and realized they had no time for personal qualms. They certainly hadn't let it all go, no. It wouldn't be that easy. But now was not the time.

All this happened while Artemis was present, and she felt ashamed that she had doubted Percy and agreed to spy on the camps. Percy forgave her, as in the end, she had shown her loyalty by providing wrong information.

She nodded and returned to her hunters. Percy then apologized to Calypso for injecting her with a privacy-invading device without her consent and thanked Leo for standing up for him. They just nodded and said they'd talk later, the war clearly on everyone's mind. Even Annabeth was seen giving Percy the cold shoulder, but he knew he needed to talk to her alone and she would believe him. At least he hoped that she would.

* * *

 **MEANWHILE IN TARTARUS:**

"WELCOME BACK TO LIFE." Tartarus bellowed to a figure who was bowing in front of him.

"Thank you, My Lord, I shall forever be in your debt henceforth. I shall do as you say. spoke the figure, who had an aura of high power around him, but not as much as Kronos.

"Percy was a fool to think I would let him rule the world beside me. Go, lead an army to that empty Roman camp and destroy it. I will personally command an army to attack Olympus in a few days. Let the camps fall apart, I couldn't care less about those puny demigods. I hope Perseus Jackson dies by my hands." Tartarus said laughing like a maniac, proud that he had deceived Percy.

His plan was for Palas, the Titan of Destruction who he just raised from the dead to lead an army and attack Camp Jupiter that was left unguarded. Meanwhile, he would first let the demigods destroy each other while he waited for Palas' return. Then Palas would lead the army waiting here in Tartarus to attack Mt. Olympus accompanied by himself.

He had fooled Percy into believing he needed a host. It was a lie, Tartarus was strong enough and had a whole body of his own, one of the reasons he never appeared in front of Percy. So, Tartarus was proud of himself, feeling that Percy had played into his own hands.

"Go Palas, destroy the wretched camp and get back here. Then we will kill those Gods and rule the world." He ordered, and Palas quickly bowed and left to complete his task, the Roman Camp being virtually unguarded barring a handful of guards, or was it? Did Percy really not know about Tartarus? He's in trouble then, isn't he..?

 **(A/N: SO CAN YOU GUESS WHERE THE STORY IS HEADED FROM HERE? HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING. REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS APPRECIATED.)**


	12. Chapter 11

**Ch. 11: Boom!**

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

The demigods had reached Greece where the war was to take place. To their surprise, no army had arrived yet. There was no sign of Thalia or the Gods either. When the demigods looked at Percy and Iapetus questioningly, Percy spoke

"Maybe he's still waiting for Iapetus and me to show up. We were supposed to lead the armies, so technically he's without a leader for now."

"What are we supposed to do then Jackson? Please take this decision for us as well just like you took so many in the past." Clarisse said bitterly, angrily eying Percy.

"Look, I know you're all angry, but we can talk about that later. I promise I have a full and valid explanation for all that I have done."

Clarisse was about to retort but Iapetus interrupted "Let's head to the throne room. You can discuss this later, now is not the time."

Reyna, however, was still very much pissed just like all Percy's friends were "We do not obey the words of a lecherous Titan." She spat.  
Percy didn't like the tone.

"A Titan who has put his life on the line multiple times for our sakes, Praetor. Don't you dare call him lecherous! He swore an oath of loyalty to the big three already. I understand you must be angry with me, but do not undermine the Titan's efforts. I can't believe that YOU of all people aren't being mature about this. Deflate your ego Reyna, I honestly couldn't care less about how all of you feel, just see the size of their army and tell me if your soldiers don't piss their pants. Living in Tartarus was no fun for me either, but I did what I had to for the survival of Olympus and Western Civilization. While I'm sorry I kept you all in the dark, I don't regret my actions in the slightest. If you can't grow up, I suggest you leave." Percy said, not at all liking Reyna's demeanor towards his friend. She was for a moment stunned to see Percy openly insulting her for a Titan, but realized she was actually being needlessly difficult.

"Let's talk later, this was the wrong time to bring it up and I'm sorry." She said.

Percy just nodded and proceeded silently towards the throne room.

"Unlike some people, I believe Iapetus is right. Since you obviously don't trust me anymore and feel like we are criminals, you do what you wish. The Big three along with Thalia will be waiting for me, I need to go be part of some _stupid_ prophecy once again." Percy said bitterly and accompanied by Bob they got the key to the 600th floor and got onboard the elevator. The campers had embarrassed looks when they realized how stupid they had been. Never before had they questioned Percy's decisions. He had led them in wars and won for them. He had sacrificed so much for them, and yet again he was here doing the same and they had treated him like an outsider. Annabeth was

also feeling guilty, but after what had transpired she just couldn't bring herself to trust Percy again. She knew she was being unreasonable, but couldn't help it. Maybe 'Percabeth', as the Aphrodite cabin liked to call the two was over...

Meanwhile, Percy and Bob had arrived in the Throne room and were already kneeling in front of Zeus. Once he nodded, they rose to their feet only for Poseidon to engulf Percy in a hug. To Percy's shock, not just the big three but all Gods were present.

"I'm so pleased to have you back, son. You have no idea how much I've missed you and worried about you." Poseidon said, earning a blush and a warm smile from Percy. He even gave his favorite Goddess Hestia a warm smile which she returned equally warmly. He had made it a point to never ignore the hearth.

"I missed you too dad, but you needn't have had to worry, Bob was very helpful and always had my back."

"Thank you." Poseidon begrudgingly thanked the Titan who merely nodded in response.

Zeus cleared his throat and motioned for Poseidon to take his seat. Thalia once again hugged Percy before standing beside him. He remembered midway through the journey Artemis had spoken something about an emergency Council meeting on Olympus and vanished.

"Lord Zeus, you filled them in?" Percy enquired to the King of the Gods referring to the rest of the Olympians.

"I did Perseus. They know all that has happened so far. Where are the rest of our children?"

Percy was about to say when Zeus got the answer in the form of the demigods who had just strolled into the throne room. Many of them went to hug or meet Thalia, especially the huntresses who had arrived with the demigods and a few campers who knew Thalia. They all bowed down then, but Zeus dismissed them

"No time for bows, children, we have a war to win, and this time unlike the last time we Gods plan to help you. Perseus has done us a great service, which I believe you are all now aware and thankful of? Zeus asked. When the demigods looked nervous about the thankful part, Zeus was about to scold them, but Percy spoke

"They are. They thanked me over and over again Lord Zeus, I think we should plan our next move now." much to the astonishment of the campers. So what if he had hidden some things, he was still the same old Percy Jackson who could take a fatal blow for his friends if need be. This was just a silly little lie.

Zeus narrowed his eyes but curtly nodded.

"The plan may have been your father's, but you brilliantly improvised the whole thing. I think even Athena would agree that your actions were very smart." Zeus said.

"Smart indeed." Athena reluctantly admitted.

"So tell us what you think should be the next move," Zeus asked Percy, much to the shock of the Council members and demigods alike who knew Zeus wasn't used to taking advice from anyone except Athena, let alone a demigod they all thought he hated.

"Tartarus has believed he was one step ahead of us. He has been planning something and we need to be ready. The sword Thalia holds has been found by me through great effort. We believe the sword can destroy Tartarus."

"Weren't you supposed to be the host? So now how does he have one?"

"Told you he was planning something. Iapetus managed to get a wind of his plan, but it wasn't enough. We don't know everything, but certainly, we know something substantial. Bob tell them."

"Tartarus was going to backstab us. He planned to raise a Titan - Palas, the titan of destruction, in order to attack and destroy the camps in our absence."

Zeus widened his eyes "If you know that why come here? Shouldn't you have stayed back and defended the camps?" The campers had either incredulous or worried looks."

"Not quite. The army that is attacking both the sides is huge, practically the whole of Tartarus attacking together with a Titan. Tartarus is emptying the whole pit. We will face a lot of enemies, monsters of all kinds - Telekhines, Laistrygonian giants, dracanae, Cyclops, The minatour, echidna and chimera, emposai, hydras, hellhounds, you name it. These forces shall be divided. About 60% will attack Mt. Olympus and the remaining will target the camps knowing both camps are defenseless. Tartarus planned to merge this portion into the main army later at one night so all could attack together on the second day. That way he hopes the war ends in 2 days unlike how long the one against Kronos lasted. Tartarus will also retreat every sunrise and attack every sun dawn unlike Gaea because his power is maximum at night."

"You certainly are well acquainted with his plans. You're a good spy" Hades remarked.

"Let's not make it a habit uncle. Unlike you, I prefer to do non-shady stuff." Percy replied, Hades just shrugged to that.

"You did good Perseus. You too Iapetus. But Percy, if you realized this then you must have done something to stop it from happening? Otherwise, the plan sounds so flawless he might as well win on the second day." Poseidon asked his son worriedly.

"Of course I have, dad. Unfortunately, you need to allow the Roman camp to be destroyed for that."

A second later, the Romans were protesting loudly.

"ENOUGH!" Zeus bellowed, then he looked at Percy "Perseus, I can't simply allow one of my camps to be destroyed. And if they can destroy one camp, what's to stop them from destroying the other?"

"Their deaths," Percy said simply.

"I swear, Jackson if you don't start speaking something that makes sense I'll bash your head with my shield," Clarisse hissed.

"I know the first camp to be attacked is Camp Jupiter. When I left I already instructed the guard that was left in charge to be ready and pack everything and get out of the camp at a moment's notice from either of the praetors. Now as soon as the camp is attacked they will IM us and we will tell them to sneak out through the underground network instead of engaging with the enemy. All the citizens of Rome that live there peacefully will also be evacuated then the camp will be blasted to smithereens."

"So you will just destroy our home and make all the citizens homeless. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you should ask us or involve us in some of your plans dude?" Frank testily asked Percy.

"We don't have a choice. C'mon, think up something and if you can come up with a plan better than this then enlighten us." Iapetus defended Percy.

"Maybe we could have, if only you'd have informed us sooner! Now we don't have the time whatsoever to think and come up with anything." Reyna prompted.

"My apologies, Roman, we were slightly occupied playing double agents in our enemies' lair, which is, incidentally, known as hell." Iapetus shot back with a glare as Reyna bit back a curse, her hand tightly clutching the hilt of her sheathed sword. Percy diffused some of the tension when he spoke,

"Look, guys, Tartarus has an army in thousands, quite literally. Just imagine - the _whole_ pit. He's sending a huge chunk of it to destroy the camps. Not because he expects us to defend that place, no he doesn't care about that. The plan is to keep them hidden then attack with them the second day as a surprise. And he hates the camps, so instead of keeping the remaining force in Tartarus and calling them on the second day, he felt like getting something out of this deal. So meanwhile he sent them with Palas to destroy the camps. It's a great plan on his part, Lady Athena don't you agree?" Percy asked Athena.

She looked a bit surprised but nodded.

"I have to agree with Perseus here. The strategy, if successful, can destroy us. With Percy's plan, there will only be a loss of property, not life. And most importantly a huge chunk of the army will be destroyed and leave the enemy in a disarray, rendering Tartarus' two-days surprise useless."

"Then let's take a vote. I won't take such a huge decision by myself. Raise your hands if you agree that Perseus' plan is the only way." He spoke, and all the Olympians raised their hands.

"You demigods are the majority here, you expect me to give you special invitation to vote? Or do I count your votes against Perseus and dismiss his idea?" Zeus asked with narrowed eyes.

The demigods - Percy included, were beyond surprised that Zeus would consider their votes. They looked at each other, then slowly they started raising hands. Barring a handful of demigods who were probably very young to realize what was going on, every hand in the room was raised.

"Very well then. We shall move forward with Percy's plan." Zeus declared.

"Percy, how do you plan to just destroy the whole camp?" Annabeth spoke for the first time, earning a small smile from Percy, but was interrupted before he got a chance to speak.

"Annabeth, weren't you listening? Lord Zeus said the Gods will help us! So obviously Lord Zeus will send a huge bolt to strike down the camp monsters!" A stupid son of Ares spoke.

Annabeth glared daggers at him "Mike, I _was_ listening. But if you had some brains inside that stupid head of yours, you'd realize that this is a demigod matter and the Gods can't interfere unless Tartarus himself appears."

Ares was glaring at Annabeth but a glare from Athena showed him his place.

"That is correct Perseus, we can't help you with this plan if that's what you were hoping. It's against the ancient laws to meddle, we can only fight once Tartarus shows himself." Zeus spoke.

Percy was about to reply when an IM appeared in front of Reyna.

"Praetor Reyna! The camp is under attack, the enemy is massive, about 1000 monsters in all, and a Titan is leading them! What should we do?" Reyna stared at Percy for a moment before saying "Percy instructed something before you left, did you do that?"

"Yes, the citizens are safe underground and we are ready to leave."

She stared at Percy again, earning a confident nod from the son of Poseidon.

"Then leave. We have the enemies handled." She confirmed.

The soldier bowed and swiped his hand through the mist. The demigods were all looking at Percy again.

"Lord Zeus, I need your help," Percy spoke, to which a few of the campers snickered.

"Did living in Tartarus cause you to go deaf, _boy_? Father just said we cannot attack the camp." Artemis spat. She may have made a mistake, but she was still the same man-hating Goddess. Percy though, wasn't in the mood to have any of it.

"Of course you'd have to ask me what effects Tartarus had, seeing as you've never ever had the courage to actually go to that place I keep on venturing willingly to," Percy snapped back. The remark, albeit rude was the bitter truth. Even Gods were scared of venturing into the pit, so Artemis just glared at Percy and curled her lips into a thin line, but stood wordlessly.

Zeus interrupted asking what help Percy needed, and he said he just wanted to be able to look at the camp from here. It was a fairly easy request, Zeus just swiped his hands and a screen like thin layer appeared in front of them as if a chopper was transmitting live coverage of Camp Jupiter.

The demigods and Gods alike stood wide-eyed as they saw the huge army of monsters led by a being - who they could tell even from a screen, radiated great power - Palas, the Titan of Destruction. They were destroying the camp, throwing vials of Greek fire and setting everything ablaze. The Romans winced at the destruction of their home.

Percy waited for a while until he was sure all monsters were within camp including the titan Palas. 'If only he knew how short-lived his return was gonna be' Bob smiled as if the thought amused him.

He then nodded towards Percy, who took out some sort of remote from his pocket.

"Watch and learn people, watch and learn." He said as he pressed the button on the remote.

 **BOOOM**!

Mt. Olympus must have literally felt the vibrations of the blast as the demigods waited for the smoke to clear. At first, they were confused - normal gases and metals couldn't kill monsters, how on earth did a blast kill so many and a Titan on top of that?

"Normal bombs have Sulphur and Phosphorous in them, these were specially built to contain celestial bronze," Percy explained.

" _You_ made them?" Came the whining voice of a certain extremely hyper son of Hapheastus as he continued, "Dude, that's my job!"

"Yeah man, you're still our repair boy. These, I ordered monsters to make. Tartarus thought I planned to blow you all with these, so he didn't say a word. While getting Thalia out of there, Bob planted them."

"And my guards didn't do _anything_?" Reyna asked incredulously.

"I believe they would have stopped me... if they had seen me, which they didn't," Iapetus replied.

"Oh well, can't say I left the brightest lot behind." She shrugged.

"See, that was successful, wasn't it. Now we have reduced Tartarus' numbers and just have to wait for him to show up." Percy smiled.

"Let's hope we don't have any more surprises, we can't deal with any right now. We all Gods will be needed here if we want to have a chance at defeating such huge numbers." Zeus said in an ominous voice, knowing that they weren't in a position to handle the absence of even a single God, ignorant ones such as Dionysus included.

"Lord Zeus, you might want to tell them the prophecy now." Percy reminded Zeus, while most of the senior demigods took a sharp intake of breath at the mention of another Prophecy.

* * *

"ATTACK!" The leader bellowed. And the army charged.

The army was not huge, about a few hundred in all. They had lost a large number when Kronos was defeated and they had to retreat back. But the main thing was the leader wasn't dead. He had gone underground after Kronos and Typhon's defeat years ago. But now, here was the chance, and a great plan, he just couldn't let the opportunity slide. The only difference being, last time the Gods let him wreak havoc for a while for they knew he would have to eventually retreat. This time, they didn't have a choice. Tartarus' idea was brilliant, and this attack would make his victory sure.

"Besides, what better way to exact vengeance and wrestle control of the seas back again than allying with Tartarus." _Oceanus_ laughed, for he knew this distraction and Tartarus' numbers would do the trick. And he also knew Poseidon would never abandon his Palace once again. He knew the sea would once again be at war, and the Gods would watch helplessly as they lose the war, and one by one, their pathetic lives.

 **(A/N: YEAH, I JUST CONFUSED YOU MORE WITH ANOTHER TWIST... REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS, AS ALWAYS, WELCOME.)**


	13. Chapter 12

**Ch. 12: Ready...Set, Go!**

* * *

 _(RECAP: "See, that was successful wasn't it. Now we have reduced Tartarus' numbers and just have to wait for him to show up." Percy smiled._

 _"Let's hope we don't have any more surprises, we can't deal with any right now. We all will be needed here if we want to have a chance at defeating such huge numbers." Zeus said in an ominous voice, knowing that they weren't in a position to handle the absence of even a single God, Dionysus included._

 _"Lord Zeus, you might want to tell them the prophecy now." Percy reminded Zeus, while most of the senior demigods took a sharp intake of breath at the mention of another Prophecy._

* * *

 _"Besides, what better way to_ exact _vengeance and wrestle control of the seas back again than allying with Tartarus." Oceanus laughed, for he knew this distraction and Tartarus' numbers would do the trick. And he also knew Poseidon would never abandon his Palace once again. He knew the sea would once again be at war, and the Gods would watch helplessly as they lose the war, and one by one, their pathetic lives.)_

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

Zeus proceeded to tell the prophecy, which earned same looks from the campers and legionnaires alike as every prophecy ever has - confused and wary.

"The earth shall break and part way for hell,  
you will realize the lie in which you dwell.  
The lost hero shall reunite friends and foes,  
But suffer worse than death to his woes.  
Indubitable, the sides may sound,  
Misleading judgment shall lead to losses propound.  
While Rome cringes in fright of the devil,  
The sea's anger shall rid the world of all evil.  
For destruction, for bloodlust the devil who pray,  
Beware their life lightning shall slay."

"The first two lines sound really bad and depressing," Hazel spoke.

"The next line gives us hope only for the following line to dash them," Piper said.

"Misleading judgment - I don't like the sound of that," Jason spoke with narrowed eyes.

"If Rome cringes in fright I don't even want to know what or who this devil is." Frank shivered while Reyna had identical expressions.

"The last three lines provide hope. The sea is obviously Percy, but again we can't be sure as the Gods are taking part and it might end up to be Poseidon for all we know. Same goes for lightning, only with more possibilities as there are two children of Zeus amongst us." Annabeth said.

"So all in all our average prophecy. Pfft. A piece of cake." Leo said, earning raised eyebrows from the Gods, but his friends just rolled their eyes.

Percy knew the Lost Hero was Leo, he had helped stop the war and combined the Greek and Roman forces, but didn't speak anything. Mainly because of the line that followed. 'But suffer worse than death to his woes.'

He had a feeling all his friends knew but weren't saying anything because of the same reason. He also had a feeling that their anger and resentment towards him was soon going to overshadow their maturity and sense of the importance of the war. Inevitable as it may seem, he just didn't wanna end up dead by Thalia or Clarisse or someone else's hand."

"Now that we have the prophecy, I'll advice you all to use it as a guide rather than try making something out of it and wasting valuable time," Zeus spoke, observing the thoughtful looks on the senior campers, especially the children of Athena like Annabeth and Malcolm.

"Dad, what are we to do now? Simply wait for Tartarus to show up?"

"Unless you wish to go to Tartarus to attack him, son," Zeus said, but with a small smile to let Jason know he was joking.

"Uh, no thanks. Won't be needing that kind of experience on my resume anytime soon."

Just then, Poseidon fell on the floor clutching his head. "No. Not now, this isn't possible. No, no, no." He was muttering.

Zeus and Percy rushed to him.

"What! Is Tartarus Attacking the sea? How? Poseidon what's wrong?"

"Dad! Why..? OH..." Percy realized.

"What?" Zeus asked.

"It's not Tartarus, or it may be Tartarus, but he hasn't attacked here. It's the Ocean. The Ocean has been attacked.

Poseidon rose up and spoke "I have to get back to my palace, they are being attacked. We don't know who this enemy is, but most probably it is Tartarus. Will any of you be coming to aide me?" Poseidon asked looking at Zeus.

"Go, make sure it is Tartarus and has a huge army. If the army is small it might just be a distraction and the attack will happen here and destroy Mt. Olympus. Otherwise IM us, brother. Then grant the Council the permission to enter your domain. We shall destroy Tartarus and his ocean forces." Zeus nodded, and Poseidon was about to vanish.

"Dad, take me with you. I can help."

"We played that little Triton stunt, Percy. They currently hate you. If I have to call you all there I will clear things out there then call you. If not, we don't have that time now."

Percy understood. He just nodded while Poseidon vanished.

They waited for a few moments, then an IM appeared with a very worried looking Poseidon.

"It's a small army." He said.

"Then why are you looking so worried, Poseidon?" Hades asked his brother.

"Because the army isn't Tartarus' either. Oceanus has grabbed this opportunity to ally with Tartarus, and I can't leave my home unprotected this time. You will have to deal with Tartarus yourself it seems." He replied sadly.

The Gods and campers watched the sea God wide-eyed. Percy was so taken aback that Bob had to shake him out of his reverie. He had no words to speak, just like the rest of them. Poseidon just stared sadly "I'll come as soon as I can, just try to hold them off for a while, then we shall all attack together."

Zeus nodded and Poseidon swiped his hands through the mist.

"Okay, this isn't so bad," Athena spoke, and we she spoke, people tended to listen since she was almost always right.

When none of the onlookers spoke a word, the goddess of wisdom continued

"If Poseidon can finish off the war in two days after Tartarus attacks, we have to only hold for a while. On the first day, Tartarus plans to retreat. On the second day, he will be waiting for his army to join. The one that was sent to destroy the camps. But we foiled that plan, so no new reinforcements shall be there on day 2."

"And then once Poseidon comes we can hopefully push them and defeat them," Zeus said, nodding at the idea.

"We can't," Percy said, earning raised eyebrows and questioning looks from everyone present in the room, Bob included.

He sighed and spoke

"Tartarus is the pit itself. With his added power now, smallest of the monsters take about a day to reform, some bigger ones take two days. If Tartarus sends all kinds of monsters right from day 1, by the time dad comes their numbers will have hardly diminished. And by the time Lord Zeus plans to push them on the defensive, the bigger monsters from day one will have joined the fight. Not to mention Tartarus is a Primordial and if the Gods can't hold him back for even one minute, one attack and he'll destroy a huge part of our army."

The campers and Gods alike looked at a loss, just then Percy spoke

"Lord Zeus, have you notified Tyson? He is the commander of the Cyclops Army and his brothers will be needed in this war."

"I haven't, as a matter of fact, and I won't yet. They need to make arrows and other weapons as fast as they can, we can't deal with dwindling resources, Perseus. But I'll call them if I see we have enough and the enemy might fall, or that we desperately need their aide." Zeus said, to which Percy nodded. Just then Hades spoke.

"Not to seem off the topic but has anyone seen my son Nico?" Nico wasn't present in the crowd. Nico wasn't in the Greek camp when Percy visited once, wasn't in the Roman camp when Percy visited there twice.

"I thought he was with you doing your underworld business so I wasn't even worried!" Hazel exclaimed.

"Chill guys. I haven't forgotten death breath. He'll soon come. I sent him to fetch Grover. He knows my plan, knew since the beginning. I sent him as soon as I told him everything, so he must've crashed out a lot along the way due to extensive shadow traveling since Grover went on some other continent for some Lord of the Wild work, but when they get back we shall have an army of Wild." Percy said.

"And most probably a passed out son of Hades." He added as an afterthought.

Hades and Hazel nodded looking relieved. Just then the ground shook beneath them and they rushed towards the windows to see what caused the commotion.

"Tartarus' army. The war has begun." Zeus breathed, stunned at the size and variety of the enemy army.

Within a moment, the Gods had teleported the demigods all out of the throne room and in front of Olympus and disappeared. "Remember that you have to defend the throne room at all costs children. And call us as soon as Tartarus shows his presence. Praetors, take charge of the legionnaires, Perseus, Jason, Annabeth, divide the Greek forces into three and lead them. You haven't got the time to assign areas to cabins like last time or set traps, but you have the numbers." Zeus had said before we were teleported.

'We have numbers, well so do they.' Percy thought.

The army was still far away, marching leisurely as if having all the time in the world. Yeah, a monster army of about a thousand monsters with various shades of ugly could be seen from a distance walking like they were coming to meet old friends.

Suddenly the demigods and Gods alike (watching from the throne room from Hephaestus TV) gulped, thankful that they'd voted that the camp is blasted. If that army had combined with this one, they would've had no chance. The Roman Praetors had divided the army in two and one of them led by Frank was retreating, finding spots to hide. These were the archers, finding spots from where they could pick off enemies.

The hunters of Artemis did the same, Thalia leading them. Percy, Jason, and Annabeth - inarguable the greatest leaders the century had seen, came together for a discussion. They knew that they had a while since the monsters were pretty far away and had actually stopped, maybe waiting for the ugliest of the lot to step forward and lead.

Within five minutes, the Romans stood in a turtle formation or testudo formation as they called it - It was very impressive, forming a barricade of shields around them. The Romans came together, stuck their shields tightly to each other. The ones in the front line kneeled down and placed their shields tightly on the ground and connected so close that no gaps were left for arrows or spears to hit the soldiers.

The same procedure was followed on all the four sides, and the ones in between raised their shields over their head so that it was a fortified castle of its own. The first line had the job of attacking and when one of them died the one behind him would replace him. They formed a kind of shell around them to protect themselves as well as attack, hence the name turtle.

Hazel and Dakota and the rest of the Centurions were in the first line. As the enemy got closer this formation would break and the last line that consisted of expert spear wielders would throw their spears at their enemies, the whole army then charging into battle as one. The archers would also at this point discard bows, unsheathe their spears and swords and join their other half with Frank leading. Reyna and Frank were good...

While the Romans stood in this formation with their praetor standing proudly beside them ready to ride a new Pegasus since Scipio had died, Annabeth put forth a plan, Jason added some things and Percy modified a few things to arrange the Greeks in a formation.

Then Percy called the entire Apollo cabin and the remaining cabin leaders. The plan was discussed and passed on. Soon the Greeks, who were known for disorder and a bit of carefree attitude were standing in a formation that was a combination of the ancient Greek Phalanx and the Testudo formation along with a few impressive modifications from Percy. The sight made Reyna's eyes bulge out of her sockets, stunned at what a deadly order they stood in.

The Apollo campers, unlike the Romans, stood as the first line kneeling down, bows ready and arrows aimed at the sky.

The second line consisted of spear users, barricading themselves with shields on all sides just like the Romans. Only, they were standing instead of kneeling down.

The third line again consisted of archers - the Apollo cabin was quite huge and even some other campers that had taken a liking to bows were present. These soldiers were standing instead of kneeling, their arrows aimed straight and sideways instead of upwards. The ones aimed sideways were, of course, special arrows like supersonic ones and fire and water ones and a few more. These meant to disrupt the enemy attack long enough for the fourth line to come into the picture.

The strangest yet the most deadly line, the fourth line was the kids of Hephaestus, Leo present in the center of the line. They had vials of Greek fire and multiple weird looking devices that spewed a large amount of Poison and Fire when thrown. Much like a handful of grenades. They had these things in large quantities.

The rest of the lines that followed were combatants and would come into picture only after the damage was done, but they had also fortified themselves like the Romans from all sides so no areal spears, swords or arrows could get through. There were about 20 such lines, 200 soldiers in all ready to face hundreds of monsters.

The first four lines consisting of throwers were supposed to throw whatever they had planned - arrows, vials, spears, then use their shields to retreat to the back of the army. Then the Greeks would remove shields from above their heads, raise their spears and charge.

The Gods were a bit stunned at the speed with which the three came up with all this, their parents looking at them with pride. Except for Poseidon of course.

The plan had more to it. Percy and Jason nodded to each other, grabbed their shields, took out their weapons - the famous pen and the coin from their pockets. They were to start the proceedings with a little bit of a hurricane and tornado, then Blackjack and tempest ( whom they had summoned while their army was arranging itself ) would get them out of the way and the first line would begin the task of demolishing the huge army.

The monster army watched from a distance and snorted, confident that their numbers would completely destroy the demigods. Their leaders had taken charge - the minatour, echidna - the mother of all monsters and the chimera. A few hydras and Laistrygonian giants and Cyclops formed the front lines while the rest had lesser monsters like Telekhines, The gorgons Stheno and Euryale (thankfully no medusa), dracaenae and the list went on and on. Tartarus hadn't appeared yet, but on some unknown signal, the monsters charged. Just as the monsters were nearing the river, Reyna yelled

"Romans! At Arms !" And they locked their shields and notched their bows ready to fire.

Before the Romans could attack, they saw a very big hurricane and Jason in the center of it making them halt in their tracks. Percy was on blackjack. The Pegasus soared to a certain height then Percy simply jumped down and hit the ground kneeling on one knee. It caused a massive earthquake that sent a lot of the lesser monsters to plummet down to their deaths in the river and even a few bigger and stronger ones to lose balance.

Percy then concentrated on the water and formed a defensive water wall in front of him and his friends. He solidified this wall of defense so that the enemies could not send any kind of things hurling at them. Blackjack scooped down and got Percy out of there. He dropped the tired son of Poseidon near the Greeks. Percy uncapped riptide, then let the wall down in a huge splash of water. The greatest swordsman of the century hadn't even raised his sword and already destroyed a large chunk of the enemy. The monsters at first looked relieved and angry at the same time, then afraid and...well, afraid at the same time. They stared wide-eyed as not one, not two but about 10 hurricanes came in their direction.

A smart few took cover, but the rest were not so bright and ended up falling into the river as the hurricanes threw the monsters helter-skelter, mostly in the water. Jason stood exactly where he had been when Percy had made a wall, proud of the new trick he had learned by Percy's idea. The two children of the big three had alone destroyed one-third of their enemies including the powerful Echidna and Chimera, for both of whom the combined attack proved too much - without even stepping into battle, and the look of certainty of the monsters' eyes was now gone now. The demigods cheered, then began what even the Gods had termed the most difficult battle of their existence.

Jason and Percy waited out a while, but Annabeth commanded and the Greeks got ready for the attack, the first line aiming their arrows ready to fly into the enemy camp, flailing as many monsters as they could before they had to retreat and the second line would take over.

 **(A/N: IMAGINE THE FORMATIONS IN YOUR HEAD OTHERWISE THEY WON'T MAKE MUCH SENSE. I HAVE TO SAY, THIS WAS THE CHAPTER BY FAR THAT HAD ME THINKING THE MOST. FOR THOSE WHO BOTHER TO READ THESE NOTES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW IT IS, GOOD OR BAD.)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Ch. 13: Attack: Day 1**

* * *

 _RECAP; JUST THE PROPHECY:_

 _"The earth shall break and_ part _way for hell,_

 _you will realize the lie in which you dwell._

 _The lost hero shall reunite friends and foes,_

 _But suffer worse than death to his woes._

 _Indubitable, the sides may sound,_

 _Misleading_ judgment _shall lead to losses propound._

 _While Rome cringes in fright of the devil,_

 _The sea's anger shall rid the world of evil._

 _For destruction, for bloodlust, the devil who pray,_

 _Beware, their life lightning shall slay."_

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

"CHARGE!" Yelled Annabeth Chase, suddenly appearing in front of the Greek lines with a sword in one hand and her Yankees cap in the other. Then she ducked, Percy threw her a shield that she reflexively caught after pocketing the cap. Piper rushed to her friend's side patiently. Rows and rows of arrows flew from above her head once she covered herself with the shield.

The monsters weren't all hit in fatal spots, but the presence of a river around them made them fall and drown inside as soon as arrows hit them. The ones standing by the flanks were the most unlucky ones, the center ones being able to take cover. Just as the first line was about to run out of arrows in their quiver, Annabeth yelled: "Praetor Zhang, Cover!" And Frank barked an order and the Roman archers started raining down arrows at the monsters. While Frank and his men were firing arrows at amazing speeds, the first line of the Greeks raised their shields, crouched down and retreated from the sides behind the last line of the Greeks to replenish arrows and stand in formation.

The monsters were trying desperately to rally themselves and charge, but the constant aerial attacks were making it impossible.

Soon, Frank realized his comrades were running out of arrows and he yelled "Annabeth, cover!"

The second Greek line readied themselves and Annabeth shouted "The second line, kneel! Third Line, fire!"

The second line shot down to one leg kneeled position with shields as cover. The second line was the spear users. The third line, the archers who were aiming sideways began the attack. They fired various types of arrows - supersonic, aqua, flaming, Greek fire coated, and a few others. These attacks at such a high intensity created blasts after blasts at the sides of the army, rocking monsters here and there by the attack.

The monsters soon realized that the arrows were only being aimed sideways, so they tried to go to the center and raised their own bows to counter-attack. They'd forgotten the second line though. The spear users were waiting for this opportunity. As soon as most monsters stood in the center, spears were thrown towards them like javelins. Now, of course, you couldn't throw spears with the same speed or quantity as arrows, but still, each camper had about five spears strapped to their backs and two in their hands. They didn't create as much damage as the first line, but it was enough to leave them in a disarray.

Soon there were no arrows or spears left, but by that time Annabeth had already once again asked Frank to provide cover and again the second and third lines retreated to the backs. With arrows raining down on them the monsters saw the fourth line ready to throw some vials of Greek fire, some throwing knives coated with Greek fire meant to blast on impact and a lot many weird devices.

Frank didn't have to yell for cover this time, as the crouched daughter of Athena had already calculated how much time the number of arrows the Romans had would last. Just when Frank was about to ask for cover, she yelled, "The fourth line, take positions!" And Leo, the Stolls and the rest of the line shifted to a throwing position - left foot forward and right hand containing the weapon of choice slightly behind the shoulder.

Frank and his army ran out of arrows, but this time Annabeth didn't tell them to fire. Instead, she waited as all the demigods including herself took about five seconds t stuff some cotton in their ears. Once done, Piper stood up and used every bit of charm speak she possessed and yelled loudly "JUMP IN THE RIVER! STAB YOURSELVES! GO BACK AND SWEAR ON THE STYX TO NEVER COME BACK!" repeatedly. Her words lasted only a few seconds, the effect, however, lasted a long while. The skilled daughter of Aphrodite had pushed Gaea - a Primordial into a deep slumber, these were just minor monsters.

The monsters were in no way going to try an aerial attack, they simply weren't foolish enough. So instead they gathered themselves and thinking it was over, charged.

Annabeth waited a bit more before yelling "FIRE NOW!"

And the charging army witnessed traps and vials of fire and poison hurled at them in large numbers. Throwing didn't require an aim so the demigods just kept throwing whatever they had into the enemy numbers, blasting them and throwing them off their feet and sending them flying back. Blasts after blasts shook the enemy. Soon it was over, and the fourth line retreated under cover from Frank, who just like Annabeth didn't need a call for cover. The son of Mars and his soldiers were shooting arrows at enviable speeds, while the final line of the Greeks retreated to the back. Soon they were out of arrows, and Frank instructed his army to join the Romans.

He himself went on to stand beside Reyna who was on her Pegasus already. Hazel came out of the defensive Roman formation such that it wasn't disturbed and joined Frank. The plan was obvious - Frank would turn into whatever animal the soldiers needed and rush there with Haze to help while Reyna would engage with the stronger of the monsters.

Percy and Jason had joined Piper and Annabeth as the first line of the Greeks after having some ambrosia to rejuvenate them. They all held their breaths while waiting for the enemy to charge. The demigods had so far destroyed over 600 smaller monsters and a handful of Cyclops and of course the echidna and Chimera. The minotaur also looked pretty dazed while a few hydras had been burnt by fire. If it was a normal war, you could practically dance and cheer for the demigods. But the half-bloods were well aware that at least half the lesser monsters would be back tomorrow. They needed to destroy as many as they could today itself. The monster army had regained composure, and with a yell of fury, they charged - about 700 monsters against demigods just a bit above half their numbers.

The Greeks, knowing that the Romans were a well-oiled killing machine, especially the front line consisting of the first and second cohorts let Reyna begin the charge this time.

"ROMANS! TO ARMS!" She yelled, readying her army while unsheathing her own sword. As soon as the monsters came a bit closer, she yelled "CHARGE!" and the Romans charged into the battlefield, fueled by dedication and courage. As the Romans met the first line of the monsters, Frank took out his spear and started attacking. Hazel looked to be waiting for someone. Just then, Percy flinched - he could hear a lot of swearing and cussing in his mind. And Hazel looked elated. Arion dashed to her side in a blur, she climbed on it and charged along with her fellow soldiers. Meanwhile, Percy had already ordered the Greeks to be ready.

Annabeth, Jason, Piper, and Percy looked at each other, nodded and Percy yelled "GREEKS! LET'S BASH THEIR HEADS!" The Ares campers had an appreciative grin and the Greeks charged, led by the first line consisting of four demigods of the prophecy of seven. Leo stayed in the back line with his siblings, while his girlfriend - a peaceful Titan was sitting out the war and working as a healer and an assistant to the Apollo cabin healers. She would join the fight, but later.

The Greeks attacked the monsters who were trying to attack the Romans but were unable to because of their formation. Some of the traps thrown by the Greek line were taking effect now as monsters stepped over it while charging and randomly exploded into golden dust. As the battle raged on, the demigods were taking on as many monsters and sending them back to Tartarus as they could. Percy faced his longtime buddy the minotaur. He broke from the formation but motioned for them to stay put as he was trying something new.

"Hey, ugly face! You just don't learn your lesson do you!" He taunted the armored monster who roared and brandished an axe, charging at Percy. Percy was ready. He knew the monster still had only the forward gear, so he waited patiently, and just in the nick of time jumped sideways. He rammed into the Greek shields and swords pointed at him, bellowing in pain and stumbling back. Percy began slashing at a high speed to further injure the disoriented monster. Jason summoned a lightning bolt that shook the monster and made him bleed profusely. Percy jammed riptide into his belly turning the minotaur into golden dust. Annabeth then motioned for the army to break formation.

The Greeks, who were clearly unused to fighting in disciplined and restricted manner yelled their agreements and charged the enemies like raging banshees. Jason would periodically call in lightning, or fly in the air to dodge while Percy was in a hurricane of his own, using his sword as well as the hurricane to kill monsters. The enemy was literally running away from the two children of the big three. Percy just chuckled at the reaction, wondering what would happen once Nico joined.

Due to the rift between them, Annabeth and Percy were seen for the first time not fighting shoulder to shoulder while watching each other's backs. It pained them both, but Annabeth just wasn't ready and Percy would have to wait at least till battle stopped for the day to talk openly to his wise girl. He had decided to talk to all of them today itself.

The battle was on and the demigods were giving their best shot. Chiron, who was not in the formation was standing at a distance firing arrows and killing monsters who had demigods pinned down, his arrows just killing the monster before the poor demigod received the death blow. He could of course not save all of them as he saw a few falling down before he could even notch another arrow. The half-bloods were fighting with commendable faith and dedication, but the sheer size of the army was still overwhelming, even after the Greeks dealt them the early blows. The Romans were seen losing formation and were now fighting almost like the Greeks.

Centurions Dakota and Hazel, the latter of whom was on Arion were fighting off three hydras at once. They managed to kill the first one with ease as Dakota swiped his sword through its leg to gain attention while Hazel and Arion achieved a liftoff and attacked from above. They decapitated its head and set fire to it. The second and third one attacked together, but the centurions were well trained. The Hydras spewed poison, but Dakota dodged out of the way while Hazel summoned three imperial Gold shields and made a layer of them to protect herself. Hazel then went on to decapitate the second hydra while Dakota kept the third one busy. Unfortunately, the one whom Hazel was about to attack saw it coming and blocked it, then countered her with so much force that she fell off Arion.

Meanwhile, Dakota was busy slashing and dodging the other hydra. With no one to keep the second hydra occupied as Hazel was down, it caught Dakota unaware and spewed a large amount of poison at him. Hazel watched in horror as the poison hit him square on the chest and started burning Dakota - who was screaming in agony. She witnessed her fellow centurion literally burn to death and shivered unwillingly. The Greeks were close by and Percy spotted Hazel needed help and Frank was busy, so he rushed to the spot. Percy had always liked the kind Kool-aid addicted centurion of the fifth cohort - once his cohort, that just died, so he and Hazel were both pissed.

They slashed and stabbed and rolled and sliced. making both the hydras yell in agony. Percy decapitated one while Hazel took care of the other. Percy motioned for Hazel to carry on while he went over to Dakota's burnt body and placed a drachma on it to provide his pass to the underworld. Meanwhile, a few Cyclops had started attacking Hazel.

"Percy, a little help!" She called. Percy stood up and charged at the Cyclops who were stunned at the grace and speed with which the son of Poseidon attacked. He was handling two of them while Hazel was busy with a cyclops and a telkhine. Hazel was making use of her Pluto powers, but summoning cursed metals only helped so much in a fight. She wished she could summon the dead like Nico. She was so engrossed that she didn't see an empousa sneaking towards her. Percy was almost done with his Cyclops. He slashed at one of its legs and cut off its head before rolling under the other's feet and grabbing a knife from the ground and hurling it at the cyclops who bellowed in pain as the knife hit him in the stomach. He soon got up and finished it off as well.

He turned, and to his horror saw an empousa sneaking up on an unsuspecting Hazel. Hazel had become like a sister to Percy, and Frank or Nico would never forgive him if something happened to Hazel. He didn't have time to shout out a warning, so he rushed forward to deflect the nasty creature's claws. It was too late, however, as its sharp claws raked through a gap in Percy's armor and he screamed in pain.

The scream was all too familiar for most of the demigods, as they froze on their spots. Most of his friends - Reyna included dramatically shouted "PERCY!" and rushed to him. Hazel destroyed the empousa and realized what had happened.

When the rest came, Percy was lying in pain on the ground. Annabeth already had tears in her eyes. Even Hazel had tears streaming down her face. "CALL AN APOLLO CAMPER! NOW!" Jason screamed. Leo lit the circle surrounding them with fire so monsters could not attack them. He stopped for a moment, letting Will Solace in, then resumed the fire.

"It's not poison, but the blood loss might still prove fatal." He said, then stared in the distance for a bit before slightly smiling

"Dad says he is allowed to heal Percy, it wouldn't break any laws as a Titan already made an appearance (Palas) and all though they can't fight till the main enemy shows up, he can heal serious wounds. We need to get him to the throne room."

The demigods still looked worried. Just then, a very weird yet very familiar war cry rang in every being's ears "Peanut Butter!"

They all smiled. Zeus had after all called Tyson and his brothers from the forges. The fight was still on, but Tyson rushed towards his brother as soon as he entered the battlefield. News traveled fast. Upon seeing Percy's condition, he was really upset.

"What happened to brother! Why all this blood!"

"An empousa got him. We need to take him to Apollo before it's too late, Tyson, can you help us while we fend off the monsters?" Frank asked while hugging Hazel who was bawling her eyes out with guilt.

"Brother is back! I knew he didn't kill anyone or die! Monsters killing brother! Bad monsters! You take him, Tyson will kill ALL monsters" Tyson screamed in frustration and anger. He was confused about how Percy was alive even after his execution but was pissed off at the monsters. The demigods had never seen Tyson angry. Right now he was more than angry. He was fuming, seething with rage. Percy had been so close to him and when Percy let out a moan of pain, angry tears were rolling down his cheeks. He clutched his stick tightly and yelled loudly at the monsters

"BAD MONSTERS! I WILL KILL YOU FOR ATTACKING MY BROTHER!" and he charged. The rest, as they say, is history. He became a ball of rage, attacking and killing and smashing and bashing monsters black and blue. He had a sea-green aura around him and it seemed that no monster was able to touch him. The blessing of Poseidon. The demigods stared in awe at the Cyclops as he cleared the field like it was a joke. The demigods that were fighting also attacked with renewed energy. Clearly, the monsters were intimidated. For a moment they all froze, then as if they had all been ordered, began retreating. It was still some time to dawn, so no one had expected this, but apparently, they didn't want to face an angry cyclops.

Tyson signaled for the demigods to carry Percy and move, and that's exactly what they did.

 **(A/N: HOW DO YOU LIKE THE STORY SO FAR? PLEASE REVIEW, THE MORE I GET FEEDBACK, THE FASTER IT'LL MOTIVATE ME TO UPDATE.)**


	15. Chapter 14

**Ch. 14: Attack: Day 2**

* * *

 **NARRATOR"S POV:**

"Ahh..!" Percy winced as Apollo put some medicine on his claw wound. The Demigods had assembled in the throne room, Percy's closest friends forming a circle around him. Frank held on to a crying Hazel, Piper had her tears barely contained while Calypso stared sadly. Even Thalia had moist eyes, but she maintained an indifferent fa ade so as to not betray the impression of an uncaring strong lieutenant of Artemis that she had built over the years. Chiron was looking sadly while Percy winced in pain whenever Apollo put medicine over it.

Annabeth sat beside Percy, holding onto his hand as if he would disappear if she didn't hold on. She had tears covering her face, but she managed not to cry hysterically. Apollo had already warned them "The wound is not poisoned, but he has lost a lot of blood. I'll put some medicine then we'll have t let him rest and observe."

"Wh...what do you mean 'observe'?" Annabeth had stuttered wide eyed.

"He'll live Annabeth, don't worry. But what I'm afraid is that the blood loss might push the body into an indefinite coma to heal itself.

"Tyson stood there, the anger drained from him and now all he people were worried about Percy. Not just his friends, others as well. The war was gonna be big and one of their strongest demigod and best swordsman being absent was a serious blow. Nico still hadn't arrived with Grover. And even if he did, they didn't know how much time it would take for Grover to gather and rally all of the wild. Tyson had arrived with the cyclops just moments before Percy had been injured, but they had lost the element of surprise now.

"So we're still outnumbered, not to mention the fact that we have lost a few and some of the dead monsters are just gonna come back tomorrow from being dead because Tartarus will help them. Percy is injured and his participation is uncertain, Nico hasn't arrived yet. Chiron says the party ponies won't help this time. Lord Jupiter...I mean Zeus...whichever...what should we do now?" Frank asked while still holding Hazel who was not crying now but still looked distraught.

Zeus sighed "Oceanus' attack has balanced the time when Perseus blasted Camp Jupiter and Palas. I don't think he will show himself until that war is over. And since our main threat is Tartarus and Oceanus has challenged my brother in his domain, we can't assist him. Seems like you are on your own tomorrow. You have the day, it's just dawn. Plan and set traps, Apollo and Hestia can watch over Perseus. Meanwhile, Hades find your son and help him reach here faster."

The demigods nodded and Zeus summoned a bed in the middle of the throne room and Hestia in her 12-year-old form tucked the unconscious son of the sea God in it. Apollo summoned two chairs and sat in one while Hestia sat on the other. She nodded warmly to the demigods. They looked expectantly at Zeus who nodded and teleported all of them on the ground to make preparations. All but one.

"Lord Zeus, why am I here?" She asked confused.

Zeus didn't reply, just looked at Hestia and said "Let Annabeth spend some time with Perseus alone. She needs it." With that, he flashed out and Hestia and Apollo followed suit, smiling at Annabeth before they left.

Annabeth stood there for a moment not sure what she should do. Then she slowly walked towards one of the chairs, pulled it closer to Percy and sat down.

She looked at his sleeping form and clutched his hands in her. Gently bending down she kissed him on his cheek.

"Seaweed brain...I'm so sorry." She spoke teary eyed.

"This is all my fault." She whispered.

"I shouldn't have left your side...I shouldn't have been upset. I was so confused emotionally, it was so wrong of me to think you broke my trust. In reality, all you ever did was try to keep me safe. Forgive me seaweed brain, I'm so sorry." She was now sobbing. Not because Percy was in danger, she knew he'd live. But she was feeling guilty now.

She sobbed for some more time before continuing "I was not sure if I could ever trust you again after all you did. I felt like you broke my trust, and trust is like crumpled paper. Once it breaks, it can never be the same again. But I was so wrong. While I was upset I failed to understand your reasons or where you were coming from. You literally went to Tartarus once again for me Percy. Again. And I failed you. I failed you as a best friend, a companion, a girlfriend."

Unbeknown to her, Percy was awake and listening to every single word she said. He could hear the guilt in her voice, feel the pain in her words. He was in some pain, but Annabeth's quavering voice and guilt pained him even more. And he couldn't take it any longer.

"Annabeth..." He whispered still in a bit of a pain.

The daughter of Athena stared wide eyed at Percy, whose eyes were now open and moist. They held pain and sadness and regret and a lot many emotions in them.

"Percy..." Annabeth breathed, taking in the fact that Percy hadn't slipped into a coma. A huge smile spread across her face, her heart spluttering like a bubble of happiness. It vanished as soon as it came, shock and nervousness replacing her features.

"Ha..how much did you hear?" She asked while looking down at the ground.

"Enough to be very angry at you." He deadpanned.

Wide-eyed, Annabeth spoke "Percy...I'm so sorry, I swear me-"

"-You're doing it again. Making me angry." Percy cut her off.

When Annabeth raised a confused eyebrow, Percy said

"Stop apologizing for mistakes you haven't committed, wise girl. I'll always love you. I realize my actions weren't clear and I left you hanging in between. I'm sorry for all of that. I hoped you would understand which you did. I don't care when. I'm sorry for putting you through everything I did. Right from the execution stuff to my visit to camp."

"You did it for us. Your fatal flaw is loyalty for a reason Percy. Besides, you're not seaweed brain for nothing." She said and kissed him on the lips.

Once they broke apart, both had grins stretched across their faces.

"It's so easy with you wise girl. Thanks for being you." Percy said as he tried getting up, only to be pushed down by Annabeth.

"Where do you think you're going? You need to rest. I'll go and help in laying traps and everything. You just rest and heal, we'll call you if we need something."

"But-"

"You don't have a choice in this matter seaweed brain."

"Okay." Percy pouted, earning a chuckle and a peck on the lips from Annabeth. He laid down an closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep immediately. Annabeth got up, happier than she had been in the past few days and went down to help with the traps and arrangements.

Day 1 had been bad, but not as bad as they would have thought with being so outnumbered so much.

Losses had been light. Of course, every life counts, so nobody was exactly in a cheery mod. But the job was not done and anxiety and nervousness were all the looks most of the campers sported.

A few hours passed, it was almost getting close to sunset. The armies were arranged in a similar formation to last time, traps were set in various spots. Soon enough, the sun finally dimmed into the horizon and the demigods squinted their eyes to see an army march down.

"Gods have mercy, what is this!" Reyna exclaimed, surprised to see the army. No, the army wasn't bigger than the previous day and no, there weren't huge monsters except a few hydras and cyclops.

"Shields and bows and arrows...this is bad, this is very bad," Annabeth muttered.

She nodded to Reyna and Frank and shouted "DEMIGODS, LOCK SHIELDS AND ASSUME DEFENSIVE POSITIONS! THEY ARE AIMING TO DO TO US TODAY WHAT WE DID TO THEM YESTERDAY!"

Reyna yelled "NOBODY CAN USE OUR OWN ATTACK AGAINST US! LET'S SHOW THEM WHY WE CALL THEM STUPID!"

The demigods locked shields, formed formations. Every demigod was in the formation, the leaders forming the first line.

Soon the wait ended as hundreds of monsters stopped about a 100 feet in front of the half-bloods.

They were all wearing Greek style armor and had celestial bronze weapons. The cyclops - the good ones had their mouths open.

"They stole our weapons from the forges while we were arranging traps!" Tyson stared with an agape mouth.

The monsters had all kinds of weapons. While the demigods were planning and planting traps, Tartarus had gone one step ahead and sent some of his minions to raid the weapon forges empty.

On some unknown signal once again, the monsters notched their arrows in bows and readied themselves to fire.

The demigods quickly snapped out of their shocks and locked shields, preparing for the impact. Soon it came, and, with it, a disappointment. Not all arrows were normal ones. Some were coated with Greek fire and blasted into the formations, scattering the Romans and leaving the Greeks in a disarray.

The plan made by the Greeks to attack line by line failed miserably as they couldn't get themselves ready to face the monsters in time. They met the charge and were pushed back due to the sheer shock and sudden loss of numbers.

The arrow blasts had cost a huge loss of life and the mourners were also being taken out with ease as they struggled to snap out of the shock. The remaining ones soon got over their shocks and charged back in anger. Any other day and their determination and force might have pushed the monsters back, but today wasn't that day.

"AHH!" came a familiar scream, and Annabeth turned sideways in time to see her brother Malcolm being impaled by a spear through the chest. Anger coursed through her veins. She began mercilessly pounding monster after monster to reach him.

Once there, she realized she was too late. Malcolm's eyes were glazed open, staring at nothingness in the skies. She lit a tear slip from her eyes but realized that demigods were falling like a pack of cards.

"How did these buffoons become so smart! This is impossible!" Clarisse yelled in frustration over the noise of the raging battle.

She was fighting like a demon but still wasn't able to create a dent in the army. If they were hopelessly outnumbered before, they were laughably outnumbered now. The arrows and the shock that followed had taken its toll on the army.

They were attacking in organized groups, seemingly aware of the formations, how to break those formations, they knew the location of the forges... She didn't have much time to ponder over it as she turned a cyclops to dust and cursed as a hydra replaced it.

She was fighting a hydra with victory in sight, Jason fighting two cyclops and was winning, Piper and Hazel were together trying to kill a pack of hellhounds. Leo was on fire - both literally and figuratively, as he took down huge loads of monsters with his fire abilities. Percy was being missed. The demigods had been given the message that he hadn't slipped into a coma and they were elated. But they knew he needed his rest and couldn't call him today. Thalia and the hunters along with Hylla and the amazons were impressive, the monsters were trying to steer clear of the girls.

Calypso was fighting with a dagger. The Titaness didn't have any special powers, but she was surprisingly good with knives and spears. She started fighting alongside Leo, but neither of them realized when they drifted apart during the war.

Right now she was facing a hydra.

The Hydra hissed and spewed poison but she displayed impressive agility and jumped and dived out of the way.

That proved to be a huge mistake - she jumped directly in the middle of a pack of hellhounds. The hydra was not going anywhere, and with so many hellhounds surrounding her, she began panicking. She assumed a defensive position and raised her shield in case the hydra wanted to bathe her in poison once again. Suddenly, a hellhound lunged at her. She was already facing this one and saw it coming, so she ducked under it and rolled below its belly to try and get out of the circle through the opening. The hydra maybe sensed this, or just didn't like the open space. So it sent some poisonous spit there. Calypso was not anticipating this at all and as a result, was hit in her right leg with it. The leg started burning due to the acid and she screamed in agony.

Leo - basically surrounded in flames whipped his head in the direction of the familiar voice and started hacking monsters left and right with new found strength to get to the source of the scream.

Calypso was writhing in pain, unable to do anything except weakly raising her arms to try and defend herself. Just then a hellhound behind her charged at her. She saw it coming and raised her dagger, but was too weak to hold off the ferocious creature. She managed to stab it in the legs and turn it to golden dust, but not before it left a huge gash on her left thigh. With both her legs severely injured, she fell to the ground with another scream of pain. Just as the hydra was about to finish her off, a figure wreathed in flames blocked its path.

Leo had heard the all too familiar screams that had sent a chill down his spine. He was aghast at the state of his girlfriend. Red clouded his eyes and he began attacking the hellhounds and the hydra all at once, something that perhaps even Jason or Percy would have difficulty doing. In a few moments, he had cleared a large part of the area surrounding Calypso. The other demigods looked in awe at the son of Hephaestus who was wreaking havoc on the enemy. By this time, all of Leo's friends had heard Calypso's scream and had gathered by her side. Apollo campers were called to assist. They removed her armor to examine and heal the wound but shook their heads signaling a 'no'. Hazel was in a huge shock. Piper had a hand clamped over her mouth in dismay. Annabeth was already upset after Malcolm's death, and this opened the floodgates as she started sobbing.

"LEO, GET HERE FAST!" Jason shouted, extremely sad for his best friend. Leo, who was still attacking the monsters in anger turned at the voice of Jason and rushed to Calypso. Her left leg was bleeding profusely while the right leg made Leo shudder. It was completely black around the part where the poison had touched and was steaming. The rest of the leg seemed to be green in color. He immediately rushed to her side and placed her head gently in his laps.

Tears were streaming down both their faces.

"Sunshine...Please don't leave me. I could come to Ogygia, I can't come where you're going now, please don't leave me..." He whispered.

"It's...ok...okay Leo. I.. I'll w...wait...for you...for...forever..."

"Please, no sunshine, no..!" Leo was sobbing now, partly blaming himself for Calypso's state.

"So sorry, I'm so sorry sunshine, I brought you here, I made you lose immortality..."

"I...I would die a..mil...million times...if it meant sta...stayi...staying with you." Calypso managed to breathe through the pain.

"I love you sunshine, so much."

"Me...too...Leo...forever...and ever..." And the demigods openly shed tears, tears for Calypso's demise, as she lay in Leo's arms with glazed unblinking eyes as the distraught son of Hephaestus hugged her and sobbed.

Meanwhile, the battle for the day ended as the monsters retreated after dealing enough damage and not wishing to keep fighting as the sun rose and dawn broke. Each day, it seemed as if the demigods were losing more and more - first Percy's injury, then enemy arrows had taken up half of their army., they were pushed back to the defensive, and now just before the end of the day, they had lost Calypso. Tartarus could've easily pushed them forward and won, but he seemed to be in no hurry to end this war.

Reyna, who had joined the group a while ago and was looking very sad suddenly widened her eyes.

"Holy Juno..." She whispered.

When the demigods except Leo looked at her questioningly while Leo was too busy mourning, she spoke

"Annabeth, when you were thanking Leo earlier for showing you that we were and would always be friends, what was that about?"  
"This is not the time Reyna," Annabeth said irritated, her eyes completely red and puffy.

"Trust me, it is. Just tell me, please." The Praetor begged.

"When we explained Percy's situation to Leo, he was the one who gave us a speech and convinced us that you weren't enemies, that we should talk and we should trust Percy. He had made a blind guess that Percy was playing Tartarus. Why?"

"So Leo made you trust us...Leo reunited us...we were enemies first...foes..." Reyna whispered.

Realization hit Annabeth like a ton of bricks.

"The prophecy..." She whispered back.

"The prophecy." Reyna grimly nodded confirmation.

Realization dawned on everyone's features remembering the prophecy, including Leo.

As if he couldn't help himself, he whispered the dreaded lines

 _"The lost hero shall reunite friends and foes, But suffer worse than death to his woes. I was the lost hero...I cost Calypso her life..."_

 **(A/N: SO YEAH, I KILLED CALYPSO. LET ME KNOW HOW YOU'RE LIKING THE STORY SO FAR. REVIEW AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, IT MOTIVATES ME TO UPDATE FAST AND THINK OF BETTER THINGS.)**


	16. Chapter 15

**Ch. 15: Desolation**

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

Day 2 had been a disaster. Almost half the demigod numbers were wiped out. Some significant names parted, leaving depression and sadness in their wake. Malcolm, Dakota, Nyssa and a lot of others passed away, both camps deeply mourning their losses. The biggest shock was the titaness Calypso and her boyfriend Leo Valdez. No, Leo wasn't dead but he might as well have been considering his body movements and state of mind.

With great difficulty, he was taken away from Calypso's body and into the throne room. He would neither talk nor move, blinking ever so slightly in a few seconds. It was really creepy but the demigods understood. They gave him his space, choosing instead to cling on to their siblings and better halves for warmth and courage.

 **PERCY'S POV:**

Day 2 had been disastrous. So many lives were lost. This was so not what I had planned. What good was my being a double agent and going to Tartarus if we were to lose so much?

I was currently out of the bed in the throne room, feeling absolutely fine. There was some pain, but it was negligible. Instead of that one bed, the Gods had now allowed the room to be filled with many beds for the injured. The throne room transformed into an infirmary and unfortunately, a number of demigods were lying injured on the bed than were found standing and chatting.

Even healers seemed too exhausted to work. Apollo's blessing gave them the energy to work overtime. Yeah, Apollo blessed them after a long chit chat that the Gods preferred to call a discussion but we named a lengthy needless argument.

When everyone came back at the end of the day their faces and dwindled numbers were enough indication to denote the loses they'd incurred.

Bob decided to visit the forges with Tyson and gather whatever the monsters had missed or left. After permission from Zeus of course.

Annabeth was curled up against me and we were sitting on the floor. The Gods had offered to summon chairs but the floor somehow looked more comfy to all of us and we had refused. Piper who was bawling her eyes out earlier still couldn't help the little sobs that escaped her lips. Jason was holding her and trying to comfort her as best as he could, but it was fruitless.

Hazel also looked pretty glum, so much so that Reyna asked Frank to stay with her while she alone carried the praetorship duties for a while. We all knew it wasn't because of Calypso.

We were all sad for her, sure. But the major, selfish part of us was just sad to see Leo like this. Hazel had told us what the Godess Nemesis had called him. A seventh wheel. And now as soon as he was back from a place no man could ever find twice - with the girl he cared for, he was thrust into another war and his only happiness was snatched away from him.

They say life's a bitch. They put it correctly.

I couldn't even imagine losing Annabeth. All though we've come close to losing each other many times, we have always found each other. We've found love, passion, strength and most importantly hope in each other. Sure, we've had a setback or two but hey, there are no perfect relationships. You gotta make them perfect. I could never live without my wise girl. The mere thought made me shiver and that in turn led Annabeth to look at me questioningly.

I sighed. "When Piper and Hazel entered the throne room crying and sobbing so hysterically, I thought I'd lost you. My whole world, my sole fighting purpose. I was even ready to fight Hades to get you back. Then I saw Leo's condition and realized what had happened. And I felt relieved. Then I felt guilty for feeling relieved at his loss. We've been through so much, wise girl, promise you'll never leave me. Or I'll die... " I whispered.

She looked at me with moist eyes and spoke ever so softly "Promise. No matter the situation, we'll always face it together."

"Always together." I agreed. I loved the sound of that.

Then she stared at me for a while. When I raised an inquisitive eyebrow she breathed "What happened to you, seaweed brain... You sound so...mature all of a sudden..."

My gaze darkened. "Twin visits to Tartarus, understanding his plans and most importantly three wars happened Annie," I replied shakily. I closed my eyes to concentrate, pushing away the dark and negative thoughts from my mind. Annabeth nodded, signaling her brain was going through almost the same turmoil.

Just then a Roman came in rushing and hurriedly bowed to Zeus.

"What is it, Roman? You don't have to bow to me every time you approach me for something." He spoke in an authoritative yet polite tone. Wow, Zeus and polite. Who would've thought huh? But then again who would've thought that we would ally with a Titan, or that I would make a plan that actually made sense...

"My Lord. The son of Pluto needs help, he has passed out outside the gates. The Lord of the wild requests assistance as the boy is too heavy for him."

A _bullet_. That's one of the few objects I could've put to shame with the speed with which I rushed to see Nico and Grover. Grover was always my best friend and Nico had been like a brother to me. Of course, I had to get over my initial shock of I liked you but not anymore coz you're not my type, but once we were past that Nico and I decided to begin a new friendship right from scratch.

He had a crush on Will, but he wouldn't admit it. We could all see that, even Will! But both were waiting for the other to make the first move. Once I mentioned it to Nico. His reaction was funny - only if your definition of funny is being chased by skeletal zombies.

Annabeth was alongside me, so were Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason and not so surprisingly, Will. When Frank grinned at Will who was analyzing Nico, he just shrugged "What? I'm a doctor and he is my patient. That's IT, Zhang." All though you could see a ghost of a blush creep up his cheek for the ghost boy.

"How long till he wakes up?" Annabeth asked.

"Can't say. A few hours maybe. I don't think he should fight tomorrow. He'll drain himself and get himself killed."

"I won't let him fight tomorrow," Hazel said resolutely.

"Hey, where's Grover?" I asked no one in particular, looking around for my best friend.

"Blah-ha-ha! Percy!" A voice spoke from beyond me, scaring the living jujubes out of me.

"Poseidon's underpants!" I jumped a foot in the air. "Grover! Since when did you become so sneaky? Spending too much time with death breath here?"

"I can't help it if you're so unobservant, Percy. I was standing right here when you came. In fact, everyone noticed me." He said.

"No, nobody did," I spoke, but was surprised to see no one agreeing with me. In fact, they were all chuckling at me.

"358," I said randomly. "What?" Jason asked looking confused. "The number of times you guys have had fun at my expense. And you're still not tired." I spoke dryly.

Now they all laughed, including me. Annabeth playfully slapped my hand.

"How did I ever call you mature, seaweed brain."

"You used your mouth I think."

She just rolled her eyes.

"Lame, Percy, very very lame." She said.

"Of course it's lame. Who would use their mouth to speak when they can do this." I said, then bent down to kiss her on the lips. A slight peck that was enough to leave the oh so feared daughter of Athena red-cheeked.

She blushed furiously and just looked down.

Back to business, we hoisted Nico's body and pulled him onto a bed.

"Let him rest. Grover, let's take you to the Gods. We have a lot to talk." I said.

He nodded. Zeus said he would summon the council soon until then I should fill Grover in on where we stood.

I anyway wanted to do that, so I filled him in with some informative interruptions from Annabeth. Soon the Gods walked into the throne room. Yes, walked, not flashed. They were resting in their palaces on Mount Olympus (Even Hades) and preferred to save energy for the fight against Tartarus.

All the God's took their seats, except dad. We hadn't heard from him, but we could hear the blasts even up here and I could feel the conflict in the water. Summoning water would be a bit difficult now if Oceanus' power stopped me from doing it, but I would do it. I honestly had no choice.

As soon as the Gods came, Grover was asked to gather the wild. He gave us some information about the various places where he had observed the wild were most angry with Tartarus and sought permission to call all of them to the aide. Needless to say, he was granted permission. He politely bowed, nodded to Annabeth, bro-hugged me and left to find and form an army of the wild. Just as the God's were about to leave, a voice resonated throughout the room

"ALL HAIL POSEIDON!" And cheers erupted, smiles burst through the desolation and despair that were the result of the day's war. For we knew what it meant - Oceanus was defeated, Poseidon was triumphant. Soon a pop was heard and we had to cover our eyes as the throne was engulfed in a bright white light. Dad had come, but we stared wide-eyed at his condition. He was injured in many places, his clothes were torn and various cuts were bleeding ichor.

"Dad... Are you-" I croaked, worried.

"I'll be fine son, I heal fast. Perks of being an immortal God." He winked at me, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Most of the Gods were worried seeing Poseidon's condition, most but one. He was clearly contemplating whether to attack my father at his weak time to usurp his kingdom and gain more power or not. Surprisingly, it wasn't Zeus. I wasn't in the mood to have any of it. I don't know what got into me, but at that moment I snapped.

"Don't you dare Hades. _Don't_. _You Dare_. I _promise_ I'll find a way to finish you if you so much as lay a finger on my father when he's weak." I spoke with clenched teeth and balled fists, seething with rage. Hades' eyes widened. He rose to his full height to try and look intimidating.

"It's taking all of my willpower to not smite you, Perseus. How dare you talk to me like that! Had you not been Nico's friend I would have blasted you to Tartarus!" He bellowed.

" Had you not been Nico's father, I would have pummelled you." I hissed in anger.

He was about to say something but I cut him off "Poseidon suffered these injuries because of all of us. I risked so much for all of us. That includes _you,_ Hades. Do not make me repent asking for a throne for you."

"Just because you did something does not give you the right to talk to me like this! I will annihilate you! I will drag your soul to the deepest parts of my underworld and make you suffer for all eternity!" Hades took a step towards me. Only to be blasted back a few feet into his throne. He looked up shocked to see a raging Poseidon clutching his Trident tightly. His injuries seemed to have vanished all of a sudden and he looked like he would kill everyone and everything in sight. A green aura surrounded him, his eyes looked like they would catch fire.

"After all my son has done for you, after everything that he did for your children, for their recognition, after everything that I did for you, if this is how my brother is going to treat me, you don't deserve to be one. _I, Poseidon God of the seas and earthquakes sever all familial ties with Hades._ " Dad bellowed, and thunder shook the throne room. Nothing happened, but Hera' eyes widened to confirm that the ties had indeed been broken.

The Council was far too taken aback to respond, so was Hades. The demigods were stunned by the events, fearing that the outcome may result in a war on Olympus and eventual defeat to Tartarus. Poseidon was still seething with rage.

I swear, if Tartarus saw those expressions even he would cower in fear.

Zeus came out of his initial shock, coughed and tried to calm down dad before he brought the whole building down while Annabeth was calming me down. It worked for me, but dad was on a roll.

"I am calm, brother, but not quite done." Poseidon continued in a deadly calm voice. Gods and demigods alike stared at him warily.

"Hades. And everyone else. Remember this, if you so much as lay a _finger_ on Percy, or any of my worthy sons in the future, I will not be forgiving. I will avenge their death, I will avenge any wrong you commit against me. I will drag you into my realm and personally torture you for all eternity." He finished.

The gods gulped. While Poseidon wasn't the strongest Olympian, his power increased greatly when he was angry, or so I'd heard. I'd never seen him angry, but now that I had, I never wanted to, ever again. He was emanating raw power, power even more than Zeus and Hades combined. His anger radiated off him in waves, the mere force of his words holding down Hades in his throne.

"You.. You don't mean that Poseidon!" Hades said with a mixture of fear and confidence.

"Trust me Hades, I mean every word." He said in a steely calm voice.

"After all, if I can _kill my own son_ , then I can also _kill for my son_." He finished, leaving the Gods and some demigods who figured out what he meant wide-eyed. Annabeth looked at me with shock, and I just smiled sheepishly.

"Looks like I didn't kill Triton after all," I said. And I knew, now was the time to explain everything. I couldn't delay it any further, war happening or not.

 **(A/N: THE SECRET OF THE DEATH OF TRITON, PERCY'S EXECUTION AND ALL(OR MOST) OF THE PLOT SECRETS TO BE OUT NEXT! WHO'S EXCITED? I SURE AM!)**


	17. Chapter 16

**Ch. 16: The Real Story**

* * *

 _(Recap: "You_... _You don't mean that Posedion!" Hades said with a mixture of fear and confidence._

 _"Trust me Hades, I mean every word." He said in a steely calm voice._

 _"After all, if I can kill my own son, then I can also kill for my son." He finished, leaving the Gods and some demigods who figured out what he meant wide eyed. Annabeth looked at me with shock, and I just smiled sheepishly._

 _"Looks like I didn't kill Triton after_ all, _" I said. And I knew, now was the time to explain everything. I couldn't delay it any further, war happening or not.)_

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

The room was dead silent, demigods and Gods alike in shock.

"What son are you talking about Poseidon?" Hermes asked.

"Which one do you think Hermes? Which one has been the talking point of the whole of Olympus since the past few days?"

"Triton..? You..? But... How... _Why_?" Asked Hermes, now more confused than ever.

"It was necessary, especially after what he did. Percy, son, it's time to explain everything now. Say it." Poseidon spoke, intent on resting some more before the war resumed now since Tartarus could attack at any time.

The attention shifted to Percy who was by now used to being stared at while speaking something. He held onto Annabeth's hand and took a deep breath. Then he began explaining an elaborate plan that would go on to become a masterstroke artsy enough to fool a primordial like Tartarus.

"A few days before anything began, I had a dream. The dream had Triton talking to some powerful being I didn't recognize. He was discussing some army secrets of the Poseidon Palace. At first, I figured it must be one of dad's lieutenants and put the thought behind me. Then one day I went to see dad. The same day that everything began. You saw that video. My words were correct, that day I had indeed planned to surprise dad by meeting him during the night. I did go there, and we were simply talking at first." Percy paused to take a breath.

"Why didn't you tell me you were planning to go?" Annabeth asked her boyfriend.

"Because it was a spur of the moment. I was in my cabin going through some random old stuff when some old letters from dad came to my notice. I remembered the times I'd received those, it made me miss him. And I knew he missed me too, he'd appeared in a few of my dreams after the war against Gaea and said so. I decided to pay him a visit." Percy said and Annabeth nodded satisfactorily.

He then continued explaining the plan.

"When I reached I was ushered inside by the guards. Neither Amphitrite nor Triton were present in the Palace as I learned from the guards. They were supposedly visiting some friends in the deeper parts of the ocean. The guards notified dad who was resting in his chambers. We met and talked for over two hours about any and everything. That was the most time I'd spent with him in one go and we opened up about a lot of topics. The war, mom, daily life, dreams..."

He continued "While I was just describing the dreams he had sent me, I came across the topic of Triton's dreams. Dad was confused and asked me to describe the lieutenant. When I did, he had a mini panic attack. His words were incoherent and actions indicating he'd gone into shock. While rambling non-sense he spoke one word, ' _Oceanus_ '. I waited a long while before he could speak sensibly again. We discussed the possibility of Triton being a traitor. He was obviously against the idea at first. He called amphitrite to discuss the matter. She didn't appear in front of dad when he called her, so dad grew suspicious. The next few moments were spent searching for her. We found her a couple hours later, or rather, her _dead_ body in a pool of ichor."

A few campers had their hands clamped over their mouths, even some gods looked a bit surprised at the death of the queen of the ocean. They looked at Poseidon with pity, but he shrugged them off and nodded for Percy to continue.

"Upon investigation, the murder weapon was recovered. It belonged to Triton. Dad used all of his power to summon Triton. Oceanus may have been alive but the control of the seas was still in dad's hands and Triton was dumb enough to hide in the waters. Upon some pressurizing from the lieutenant and dad he spilled the beans. Oceanus wanted revenge, Tartarus was also rising. By that time the big three had already known about Tartarus rising as I was to learn later. So he wasn't surprised. Dad was heartbroken, worried about his kingdom. Without a queen and a traitor for a prince, he wanted to set an example. So then and there he announced me as the Prince of the seas, immortal or not he didn't care. Then I'll spare you the gory details, but he sentenced Triton to a pretty brutal death. He killed him, after disowning him first of course."

Everyone was now looking at Poseidon with newfound fear mixed with respect. Percy took a breather and continued,

"Once Triton's chapter was closed, he told me about Tartarus and how the big three were soon going to discuss this with the Council. He teleported me to somewhere in some random forest and summoned Zeus and Hades. They discussed some things. Things looked pretty glum when Hades came up with the idea of a double agent. Obviously, we can't befriend monsters, and Tartarus would never need a demigod so much that he'd trust him with his secrets and plans. So they needed a powerful demigod to be the one. They looked at me all at once - it was pretty creepy, and the rest, as they say, is history."

Percy let that sink in. A while later Jason spoke "That explains the video they showed us in the throne room of you leaving camp. You did leave camp to meet your dad. But then what about your execution? Artemis or anyone else clearly didn't know about this plan and yet they said you were executed by Zeus' lightning bolt itself, but here you are!"

"That's because it's common knowledge that my fatal flaw is loyalty. Nobody would believe I just turned. So they had to stage killing me. It was very well planned, the execution, you know. Lord Zeus, can you show us the video so I can explain better?"

Zeus nodded, waved his hands and a screen appeared. A remote appeared in Zeus' hands. He tossed the remote to Percy who caught it reflexively.

He pressed the play button and the day of his supposed execution played

"Percy... What he did might have been wrong, but what you did, that was terrible. You had no right whatsoever to impart justice like that, to take someone's life so mercilessly. Do you have any idea what effect it had on me? Amphitrite? That woman is practically inconsolable." Poseidon said, shedding some tears.

"When...When will I be... " Percy asked, his words constricted in his throat.

"We do not wish to imprison you. And according to the ancient rules, you can't leave this room. So it has to be now. I'm sorry."  
"It's alright. Do it. Just please tell the whole truth to the campers."

"We will, you have our word," Zeus said.

Then he got up from his throne, his height kept on increasing till he reached his original godly height. Then he summoned his lightning bolt.

"Thank you for all you have done for us Percy, we never thought it would come to this, but please understand that we are left with no choice. We can't break rules that were set even before we became Olympians."

"I understand. I'm not sorry for my actions though I; never will be."

The big three just sighed. Then Zeus aimed his bolt at Percy's chest and prepared to fire.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had tightly clutched Percy's hand while watching the video as if waiting for something inevitable to happen.

Percy stood in front of one of the windows and Zeus summoned the bolt that was to destroy the son of Poseidon. Bang! Came the voice as lightning thundered in the room. Smoke clouded even Godly vision. As it cleared, all that lay was a charred lump of debris with a broken window and wall.

The video ended there as the screen went blank. Obviously, the impact had knocked Percy off his feet and smashed him so hard against the window and wall that he fell down 600 floors. The fall wouldn't have needed to kill him though, he was a victim to Zeus' master bolt after all. The king of the Gods held immense power in that bolt and not even immortals could survive it, let alone a demigod. That's what the onlookers thought. They looked at Percy with wide eyes. Annabeth was hungrily drinking in the sight of Percy, clutching both his hand tightly as if he would run away. Percy smiled reassuringly and kissed her on the forehead.

"That is what you were expected to see. If you see the slow motion though, it's very different." He said and clicked a few buttons on the remote.

The speed was now very slow. Their eyes widened when they saw what had actually happened.

The video showed Zeus' bolt hit with surgical precision, not at Percy but the ground beneath his feet. Percy had jumped a bit in the air moments before the impact of the bolt. As a result, the bolt simply made Percy jump higher and longer. He fell out of the window mildly injured. When he was dropping down 600 floors a gigantic bed of skeletons made by Hades covered in water lay below to negate his fall.

Percy then continued speaking "The water healed my injuries and then I started acting as if I'd lost my memories. Zeus had given me a list of some minor Gods we knew had turned. So I approached them as if I was lost. They scrutinized me and were fooled that I'd lost my memories. So they conveyed this to Tartarus. I was taken to talk to him for a few hours where he made sure that I was not faking anything. Once certain, he welcomed me with open arms. He filled some lies about how the Gods and demigods were all evil and had to be destroyed and thought he'd convinced me."

"Why did I have to be the one to get kidnapped?" Thalia asked.

Percy's eyes widened. "I wasn't the one who planned that thals! I'd never do that! I was only informed by monsters that one demigod was taken and I had to go to the forest, bring him to Tartarus and interrogate him. Heck, I didn't even know the gender or parent of the God let alone that it was you, I swear."

Thalia nodded understandingly while now the story was making sense to everyone else.

Percy continued "The rest was all improvisation. Thalia has that sword I dug up from Tartarus. He can only be killed by it. Calypso had a tracker in her veins. All I did was purely act my part in fear that if I were to fail, there would be no other way to save you."

"I know I hurt a lot of you, but I'm so sorry. If I thought I had any other method or we had any other chance to survive, I would never have done what I did. I'm sorry Thalia, I never meant to put you through the physical pain of Tartarus. You too Annabeth, never ever wanted to put you through the mental torture I put you through." He continued apologetically.

"It's alright kelp head. I can die for you, this is but a fraction you asked of me. Just..dont hide things from us now okay? It wasn't physically painful being in Tartarus. Thanks to you and Iapetus of course, but it was mentally very depressing to see you act against us like a traitor. The most loyal demigod in history, and to think you joined hands with the most dangerous evil being out there." The thought made Thalia shudder. Annabeth just nodded and kissed Percy on the cheek. Athena was fuming, Poseidon staring at his longtime rival and smirking.

"You did it for me, Percy. I think I can forgive you just this once." She smiled.

"Thanks, wise girl. We'll talk more on this later. Right now everyone deserves a rest." He said, specifically looking at Leo who was still as distraught as ever. There were nods of approval and the demigods proceeded to get some rest in the makeshift beds.

Percy had a bad feeling about the next day. He would be fit to fight, but suddenly he was thinking of his mom and Paul, and his stomach was in a twist. He didn't understand this feeling, his mom was obviously safe in her house, just missing Percy as usual and worried about her son. The war against Tartarus had nothing to do with Sally Jackson, no way she would be involved. She was fine... Or was she?


	18. Chapter 17

**Ch. 17: When Hell Breaks Loose, Literally**

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 _(Recap: "You did it for me,_ Percy _. I think I can forgive you just this once." She smiled._

 _"_ Thanks _, wise girl. We'll talk more on this later. Right now everyone deserves a rest." He said, specifically looking at Leo who was still as distraught as ever. There were nods of approval and the demigods proceeded to get some rest in the makeshift beds. Percy had a bad feeling about the_ next _day. He would be fit to fight, but suddenly he was thinking of his mom and Paul, and his stomach was in a twist. He didn't understand this feeling, his mom was obviously safe in her house, just missing Percy as usual and worried about her son. The war against Tartarus had nothing to do with Sally Jackson, no way she would be involved. She was fine... Or was she?)_

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

Percy still had thoughts of his mother in mind while succumbing to sleep. He suddenly woke up to a thumping noise. Eventually, the whole throne room woke up, by which time the thumping had turned into a mild earthquake.

Suddenly bright flashes in the throne room announced the arrival of the Olympians.

"What is with the earthquake Poseidon? Now is not the time!" Zeus bellowed.

"It isn't me, brother. Whatever this is, I have no power over it."

Zeus visibly paled, at once ordering the resting demigods to assemble.

"Demigods assemble!" He yelled and after some minutes the demigods were standing in a rough formation, of course not before someone whispered: "Avengers fan much?"  
It wasn't even remotely close to the one they had two days ago but it had to do for now. Once it was done and the armed demigods were standing in a big group, he snapped his fingers and teleported them to the ground.

Most of the demigods fell down as soon as their feet landed on the ground because of the heavy magnitude of the earthquake. The quake was caused by a site that was both fascinating and blood-chilling. The reason was that New York city resembled the look it had during the Titan war. The whole city seemed to be asleep, and no outside vehicles or people could enter the inside. The vibrations seemed to be caused by some unknown force in the underground.

"That doofus bag of a god Morpheus has again changed sides," Thalia growled.

"The sleep God is hardly our concern. Look." Annabeth spoke pointing to the ground.

And to everyone's utter horror the ground began experiencing cracks. Cracks that grew in size, tearing apart the ground. The onlookers had eyes as wide as saucers, never having witnessed such a horrible scene. The ground was literally tearing itself apart from one giant line of a crack right in the middle. The demigods standing in the way barely had time to move aside before the gaping hole in the ground could swallow them.

However reluctant they were to admit it, everyone knew what was coming. Tartarus. Hell was breaking loose, literally. Even the Gods did, hence the sudden flashes of light were witnessed. The Gods had arrived in full battle regalia, ready to battle the God of the pit. The site was very scary even for the Gods.

The wild, the demigods, the Gods and the hunters stood in a somewhat scattered formation, the earthquake also stopped. The crater didn't go away, the aftermath of the earthquake tore apart the street. Luckily and surprisingly no mortals were harmed. Their cars were parked by the side of the roads, mortals sound asleep in their vehicles.

"Lucky these sleepyheads didn't have to see this," Jason said staring at the hole, or more particularly at the lava churning inside the hole. The red-hot substance emitted vapors and looked so threatened that even Gods steered clear of the opening in the ground. Just as the demigods were growing anxious by the minute they noticed an army in front of them. An army that seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere. An army so huge the demigods might as well have dropped their weapons and given up.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA," came a booming voice from under the ground causing vibrations under the feet. The voice managed to sound chilling, depressing, intimidating and amused at the same time.

"Tartarus. Stop tearing the ground apart and show your self, or are you too scared to show your ugly face like you were when I was with you?" Percy mocked.

"You insolent, insignificant, immature, worthless sea scum! How dare you talk to me like that! Bow down to me!"

"That's the most adjectives any villain has ever described me by, honestly. But still, no bowing. I'll pass."

A vicious tremor followed Percy's words, making a lot of demigods fall to their feet. A few standing at the edges fell to their deaths into the lava, while their friends just stared with shocked eyes. More numbers lost, even more of a hopeless situation appeared now.

"This is my power even when I don't show my face. And have you forgotten so early demigod, you dropped your weapon the one time we met face to face and that was not even a fraction of my power! You pathetic little half-bloods and your parents stand no chance against me!" Tartarus boasted rightfully, the demigods losing courage by the minute, hope by the second.

Immortals and mortals alike gulped, knowing this might be their last stand and that after multiple successful wars, this might just be the final war they fought and won.

"You have a natural talent for pissing off powerful beings don't you Jackson?" Clarissa said. Percy just shrugged.

Leo shouted, now fuming with anger and engulfed in flames. His voice rose with every word he spoke. "I will kill you. I will strangle you with my bare hands. I will DEMOLISH YOU!"

"Ah, the petty son of the blacksmith. It was a joy watching that girl die, wasn't it? A great loss actually, she was a Titaness who chose the wrong side. Now it's your turn." He spoke menacingly.

And again on some unseen unspoken command, the monster army attacked as one. Their numbers greatly overwhelmed the demigods, but now that Tartarus had made part of him (the hell under the ground) appears, the Gods could also attack the enemy and intervene with full powers. So even outnumbered, it was advantage demigods until Tartarus showed himself. They were taking full advantage of the situation, the Gods unleashing all they had on the monsters. Zeus had clearly instructed the Gods to take out as many monsters as they could before Tartarus entered the battlefield. The logic was simple - once he entered, all Gods would have to engage him and attempt to defeat him. The monsters already outnumbered the demigods, and even those demigods that were present were injured, injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to major gashes on the thigh or arms or legs. These wounds were bandaged but caused pain. As many monsters as possible needed to be killed before Tartarus came into play.

Blasts of energy lightened the atmosphere. Monsters were turning to golden dust. Fighting with their parents was a thrill and honor for most of the half-bloods. As a result, they were high on adrenaline and excitement. If Tartarus didn't show up soon, they could even win without defeating the main villain today itself.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. Tartarus brought something special to the table. Something that not only stopped the war but also the heartbeat of a certain group of demigods and a certain trident welding God.

A loud feminine scream echoed amidst the bloody yells and sounds of the ensuing war. Like a horror flick, a platform rose from under the ground. The platform seemed to be encased in some kinds of a protective shell that prevented the lava and surrounding flying weapons and fire from penetrating the platform. The platform was a very small rectangular surface floating mid-air. The raised platform put a halt to the war. The monsters stopped in delight while some demigods and Gods in confusion simply since the monsters had stopped attacking.

A bunch of demigods, however, namely Percy, Thalia, Annabeth stared horrified at the site. The lord of the wild and Percy's best friend Grover had similar expressions. The sea God had his eyes bulging out of his sockets while clutching his trident so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Sally Jackson lay on the ground, panting and whimpering in pain. Blood smeared her face and she had her one hand tightly holding her left thigh that seemed to be bleeding from a gash.

She was breathing heavily, and the look that Poseidon had would have literally been enough to annihilate the whole city in moments. Even Percy was raging, while the rest of the demigods had gone numb, Annabeth included.

"Tartarus," Percy growled with anger brewing inside him like a big boiling water bubble.

"Let her be. This war has nothing to do with her. I swear if you so much as lay a finger on her after the damage you've already caused I'll end you." He continued with so much venom even the Gods flinched. Tartarus suddenly appeared from under the ground, rising as if emerging slowly from underground and solidifying into a pitch black form that looked so intimidating that Hades had to look down.

Feelings of pain, sorrow, regret, death, loneliness, and desolation spread through the army like a plague. Most of the demigods had dropped their weapons staring at the pit with utter despair.

"Bow down to me, I will kill you, but all your pain will come to an end. I'm very kind." He whispered hypnotically, almost urging the demigods to give up.

"Stand fast, this is just his voice, snap out of it!" Poseidon yelled, his anger fuelling his thought process and keeping him sane. Even Percy and Annabeth who had witnessed this once looked wary instead of scared.

Percy growled "You want a war, we'll give you one. Just let my mother go. She has nothing to do with this."

"What do I get in return Percy? Your life?" Tartarus smirked. Percy for a fleeting moment felt victorious. His life was something he could definitely give up for his mother. Then he would pray that the fates let the good side emerge victoriously.

"Yes! Kill me if you want! Just let her go and swear never to touch or harm her in any way again." Percy spoke, only to hear screams of protest from his friends. He turned his head and looked them in the eye.

One look from him and they all fell silent. He looked towards Tartarus who was smiling amusedly.

Tartarus stopped smiling and sharply said "You seem to misunderstand me Perseus. Killing you would be a piece of cake. You betrayed my trust, tried to double cross me. Death is too far an easy punishment for you." He stretched a sadistic grin across his face.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked as he nervously held Annabeth's hand.

"Your life," Tartarus replied pointing towards Percy.

Again Percy was confused "I did just offer that and you refused. Stop speaking in circles."

Again Tartarus smiled

"I'm not, you're just too blind to see where I'm pointing Perseus. I want your life. Not your death, but your life." And again pointed towards Percy. But this time Percy widened his eyes as he realized the general direction pointed to someone else and not him.

"You... Want... Annabeth?" He asked with disbelief evident in her voice.

"Yes Perseus Jackson, I want your lifeline, Annabeth Chase. I wish to kill her painfully. Or maybe even torture her for all eternity!" He smiled delightfully rubbing his hands against each other as if offering Annabeth a gift.

Athena wanted to argue, to speak in protest. Her mind and heart both told her to stop it, but she simply couldn't move.

Percy did Athena's job. He stood protectively around Annabeth and raised his sword

"Over my dead body will you get her. You're just trying to get to me. You'll kill both of them off eventually if given the opportunity. Just realize her and fight it out like a man." Percy tried to harm his ego.

"I'm not instinctive like my wife or children Perseus. You of all people should know that, having worked for me!" He mocked Percy. Then Tartarus continued, that smile never leaving his features

"I understand there are trust issues. Okay, well... Let me earn your trust." When the onlookers looked at him confused he said laughing

"I swear on the river Styx that if Annabeth Chase becomes my captive willingly then I will let go of your mother and never harm her again."

Now the demigods looked taken aback at the sudden oath. Annabeth and Percy were left dumbfounded. Once Tartarus let that sink in, he turned his stare to Annabeth and said

"Annabeth, your boyfriend would sacrifice himself for anyone. Question is, do you have what it takes to sacrifice your self? I swore to let her go, but you have to swear that you'll come without a fight and do no funny business." He smirked. Annabeth was still too shocked. Her brain wanted to stay in the battle, help here. Logically Sally wasn't as useful in a war forever survival while she was one of the leaders. But her heart screamed for her to take the oath. For Percy's sake. He deserved his mother after all he'd been through. After all, he'd endured. As it is she had seen enough suffering and pain in her life to not regret death. The only ray of sunshine was Percy. And if something happened to his mother, would he ever forgive her? While she was busy in her thoughts Percy still hadn't snapped out of his thoughts.

Annabeth saw Percy, then she saw how powerful Tartarus was and weighed whether emotions should be allowed to rule or she should refuse for the sake of the mortals.

She took a deep breath and made up her mind, leaving Percy's hand and saying "I'm sorry Percy."

Then she looked towards Tartarus and said

"Tartarus... I...

 **A/N: REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE WAY THEN PLOT IS SHAPING.)**


	19. Chapter 18

_**Ch. 18: Misleading Judgements**_

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NARRATOR'S POV:

Annabeth was just about to say something when an even more confusing thing happened. Percy picked a knife from somewhere around him and raised it in a throwing gesture. Instead of throwing it on the enemy, he spoke an oath

"Before Annabeth says anything, I swear on the Styx, if you don't release my mother I will kill myself and Annabeth."

Needless to say, everyone was staring at Percy in shock. This oath made no sense. Everyone felt like he was making things easier for Tartarus.

"Percy! What have you done! Now he will kill your mother and make` you kill yourself and Annabeth or let you die by the oath on the Styx!" Poseidon shouted at his son.

"Too many wars got to that thick skull of yours, Jackson! You actually made my task easier! Now get lost, do whatever, I'm not only going to NOT release your mother, I'm going to kill her _painfully_ \- just for the fun of it!" Meanwhile, Sally was out cold and everyone was staring at Percy with bewilderment and curiosity, questioning Percy's sanity just like Tartarus was.

But as if so much confusion wasn't enough, Percy smirked.

"Go on and kill her Tartarus. Then we'll talk." He said and stood straight, waiting for Tartarus to make the next move.

Usually, Tartarus would just kill Sally and watch the show. But he had heard about Percy from his children and wife, he had personally spent some time with him. One thing was certain, either Percy stopped caring about his mother or he had gone insane. Tartarus instantly ruled out insanity, Percy was a war veteran and his experiences weren't enough to deter him or make his mind weak or corrupted. And a man like Percy could never stop caring. That was a part of his essence, something that made Percy Jackson the person he had matured into. Three wars that have to determine the fate of the world aren't exactly easy to witness or be the main part of.

So he decided Percy was playing at something bigger here.

"What are you planning, Jackson? I refuse to believe you'd kill your girlfriend or let your mother die."

Percy smirked. "Spoken like a partner Tartarus! Good to know working together made you actually think! But honestly, there's no hidden loophole or clause here. Just do whatever." He shrugged.

Tartarus narrowed his eyes. He knew there was more to the situation than what met the eye. He patiently waited a few seconds, staring intently at Percy. In reply to that, the smirk never left Percy's face. He then finally said "You can kill her, then I'll honestly kill myself and Annabeth. I just didn't say how. What I'm gonna do is use a very special sword for that. A sword made of Chaotic Platinum that I believe has the power to kill you..."

Tartarus was visibly shaken by Percy's words. That sword lay well hidden in the depths of _him_ in the ground... So could Percy be bluffing? But he swore on the Styx! If he was indeed speaking the truth, if Percy Jackson had somehow unearthed the deadliest weapons of all...

Tartarus gulped at that thought. Nobody knew the secret of the sword. They just knew what was common knowledge - the Sword could permanently kill even the most powerful being known. So obviously Tartarus had no chance. One hit and he'd be history. But there was something else. A legend. A well-guarded secret that only his wife Gaea and himself knew about. If that proved true, his destruction by that sword would not only mean his end but the end of all of his children. The earth would be rid of monsters for eons to come until the reign of the Gods ended. He had to obtain the sword at all costs.

"Show me that sword then, I don't believe it to be in your possession. I refuse to believe you so much as even laid a finger on it." Tartarus challenged Percy.

Percy wasn't remotely bluffing. The sword in question was the very one he'd handed to Thalia.

"I don't care what you believe. There's no way I'm taking out the sword. It's safe where it's supposed to be. Once I kill myself and Annabeth I'll hand it over to the Gods. They'll finish you off."

Once again, Percy, had everyone confused. According to common logic, Percy could still hand over the sword to the Gods, and if he went through with his oath they'd have two fewer warriors in their own army. His words made no sense as a threat. Tartarus had a similar confusion. He knew that Gods killing him with that sword would mean the legend to come true, but there is no way Percy could've known that. So his threat made no sense.

"You can do so either way. And a sword is a sword, whether you use it or the Gods, so what difference does it make?"

Percy smiled knowingly

"But it makes all the difference, who uses it, doesn't it, Tartarus? Or have you no faith in those legends?" He let that sink in.

This time it wasn't Tartarus who spoke, though. "What legends Jackson? I swear if you don't start making sense I shall annihilate you for being so confusing and annoying!" Zeus said irritated.

"I can't as of now. That is the only bargaining chip I have. Just look at his face and you'll see for yourself." Percy said pointing to Tartarus' face.

Tartarus' face resembled a statue. A statue that was carved as an extremely stunned being that had no words to describe the situation, no voice to opine his thoughts. The onlookers stared at the powerful primordial being in disbelief as he appeared to have been gobsmacked by a mere demigod.

Finally, Tartarus found his voice

"How...How did you know?"

"How?" Percy laughed openly now. But before he could say anything, a voice spoke from behind him

"Tartarus, honestly. Concealing some secret facts about an object in a note right beside that object isn't the best of ways to guard the secret!" Iapetus grinned, returning from his trip to the forges. Grover had meanwhile rallied the wild again and everyone had by now come out of the shock and depressing feelings and had readied their weapons.

"Iapetus, you traitor! I will make sure to kill you in a way painful enough to make an example out of you!"

Before the titan could respond back, Percy interrupted "If I were you I'd be more worried about death than torturing one of my children to death in your depths, Tartarus. Decide fast. You so much as lay a finger on my mother, I'll not only hand over the sword to Zeus I'll first kill myself and Annabeth. You know we are two of the most skilled, powerful and strong demigods around right now. There are of course others as well, but I think the two of us should be enough."

"You will not do that Jackson!" Tartarus widened his eyes upon realizing the situation was suddenly not in his favor despite having a huge army and the hero's mother to use as he saw fit.

"What do you want, Perseus? Maybe we could negotiate? Just hand over the sword to me and I'll let your mother go, I swear on the Styx." He said as thunder boomed. It was a surprise, the Primordial being had willingly, openly sworn on the Styx without any goading whatsoever from the enemy.

"Fat chance. You think I'm a fool? The moment you have that sword we'll have lost the battle. It is the only known way of killing you."

Tartarus was now losing patience, "Then what is it that you want? Spit it fast."

"I'll swear on the Styx that the Gods will not know about the secret of the sword and that I'll keep it in my possession till one of us is dead; in exchange I want you to swear to release my mother and also that you will not drag any mortals - be it our families or strangers into the war and that no harm shall befall them."

Tartarus' nostrils flared "That is preposterous. You can still do what you threatened once the oath is made."

"Then I'll also swear that I won't kill myself or Annabeth, that I won't use this sword to kill anyone of my friends."

"There are so many loopholes, you have the advantage here." Tartarus stared at Percy with anger and frustration at his helplessness.

"I do have the advantage, but I also have the sword. And I'm not involving demigods or others in the oath all though I could. You realize I'm giving up on an advantage to try to keep it as fair as possible?"

Tartarus just stayed quiet, staring at Percy. He couldn't decide what to do. In truth he wasn't giving up much - he could live with harming no mortals during the course of the war. The problem was having captured the great loyal Perseus Jackson's mother was supposed to be a great advantage, but now it counted for naught. And that pissed Tartarus off.

"We do not have all day. This is a one time offer Tartarus, take it or leave it. Decide fast."

Demigods, the wild and Gods alike were in awe as Percy negotiated the release of his mother so smartly, not believing that the hero that was often known for his crazy suicidal plans and emotions could be so calm and collected talking to the being that tortured him and his one true love for months. The more shocking fact was that Tartarus was actually listening to Percy. Some people half expected Tartarus to suddenly start laughing at Percy and the kill his mother and everyone else. All eyes were on the Primordial.

After still thinking a bit, Tartarus sighed and hesitantly nodded.

"You have a deal. Swear the oath, and I'll let your mother go and harm no mortals."

The onlookers were once again taken aback at the submissiveness of the powerful deity. They didn't know what secret Iapetus and Percy were referring to but obviously, it had to be something significantly huge.

Percy nodded in return and oaths were made.

"I Perseus Jackson swear by the river Styx to not speak of the secret of the sword during the course of this war as long as Tartarus abides by the arrangement and makes his oath in the spirit of the war as I see fit. I also swear not to willingly use the sword to kill or harm in any way one of my friends." Percy finished and looked questioningly at Tartarus.

"Alright what do I have to say?" He wanted to verify with Percy since he was about to make an unbreakable oath.

"Say that you will not harm any kind of mortals in any way in any situation under any pretense. Say that you'll release my mother just as she is, without dealing further damage. Say that you'll never capture or use a mortal against us wrongfully. Say that you do this is the spirit of the war as per my oath. Say these very words or as I spoke in my oath, the deal won't be valid." Percy instructed. For the nth time tonight there was shock and some grudging admiration at the way Percy was going about challenging Tartarus. Percy was that kind of a guy who spoke later, acted first. He usually would not think his plans through and act instinctively. Planning and strategies were Annabeth's task in the whole group and to some extent Frank's. However, this time the two-time savior of Olympus was again leading from the front - not just with courage and ideas but also plans. Tartarus made the oath just as Percy had described. Word for word the same, not even the slightest of modification was made.

The deal was done - Percy could not speak of the sword's secret and Sally was released. She suddenly appeared in front of Percy, still unconscious. Percy called a few Apollo campers who carried Sally to the throne room to heal her.

"I will still kill you Perseus. I will kill all of you!" Tartarus screamed, confident that he'd decimate all the demigods single-handedly. That was actually true, he could do it. Seeing his power, it was going to take a miracle for the demigods to last against the Primordial. Even the Gods realized this. It was their job to keep Tartarus engaged in battle with them as even one attack from Tartarus could kill half a dozen demigods and wild creatures. Meanwhile, the demigods would have to worry about not coming in Tartarus' way while battling an army about three times their size. Easy as pie right? No this wasn't actually sarcasm. Percy apparently actually believed it - he was chuckling.

Now not only Tartarus but everyone widened their eyes at Percy's attitude.

"Umm...Percy, why are you laughing? Annabeth asked confusedly.

"Wise girl, I'm surprised you of all people didn't realize what just happened."

"He" Percy continued pointing his finger towards Tartarus "can't touch any demigod now."

More confusion followed. But before someone could strangle him for twisting the story so damn much, he explained

"The oath that Tartarus spoke of prohibits him from harming, as the exact words were - any kind of mortals in any way in any situation under any pretense."

"You are not mortals Jackson, you're demigods. Have you forgotten your origins?" Zeus argued.

"Actually my origins are exactly what I'm remembering. We demigods are called half-bloods. Meaning half gods...and half?" He let the question trail as silence followed.

"...half-mortals. We are half gods and half-mortals! Of course! He just swore to not harm any kind of mortals!" Annabeth was all smiles as she kissed her boyfriend for his display of cleverness.

Demigods had huge smiles on their faces while Tartarus had his mouth agape, his face horrorstruck.

"But...but I thought you were referring to the kinds of mortals, like their gender and race and everything! The Styx upholds the oaths made in the spirit of the oath maker's mind. I did it under the spirit of only full mortals! Hence what you say is invalid." Now Tartarus had regained some of his composure and confidence.

This time Percy was at a loss, but Annabeth helped him out.

"Hmm...not really. Percy swore to abide by the terms as he sees fit, you, in turn, swore that you would abide by the terms of the oath as Percy would. Technically that made the spirit that you speak of the same for both of you. And since you were following Percy's oath, to Styx it must have seemed that you both were in agreement of the facts as Percy saw them fit." While the explanation was too complicated for some to understand, Tartarus and Percy both understood.

Once again Tartarus had a horrified expression on his face.

"Hey, I just realized something. The prophecy! It was about Tartarus and not us!" Thalia said

"What?" Came a few responses. Meanwhile, Annabeth had already pieced it together. She was about to speak when her mother beat her to it

" _The earth shall break and part way for hell, you will realize the lie in which you dwell._ Hell was Tartarus, the earth literally broke. Look at the ground. Then the prophecy talks about realizing the lie in which you dwell. Here it seems as if the prophecy is referring to Tartarus as 'you'. He captured Percy's mother and expected Annabeth to choose. Instead, he was caught unawares about the sword being in Percy's possession and realized he was living in a lie so far as Percy said he also knew about some secret that sword. We already established the meaning of the next two lines." She said looking at Leo with pity, then carried on

" _Indubitable, the sides may sound, Misleading judgment shall lead to losses propound._ Here the first line obviously refers to how Percy played double agent and fooled Tartarus. Tartarus trusted Percy in his domain and he did it now while speaking that oath. It led to a huge loss for him as he can not harm demigods including the stronger ones like Jason or Percy in the war." She finished explaining, and Tartarus' face was hilariously priceless at how easily a mere demigod, one who up until now wasn't even known for his smartness or brains had fooled him. Should he just be thankful the likes of Frank Zhang or Annabeth Chase hadn't even begun any planning?

* * *

 **(A/N: LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE PLOT SO FAR. THE BOOK HAS ONLY A FEW CHAPTERS BEFORE IT ENDS. DO REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL.)**


	20. Chapter 19

**Ch. 19: Leverage and Retreat**

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV :**

Athena had a very logical explanation for the Prophecy, but how true was it? Only time would tell. For now, the demigods were both shocked and happy at once owing to the turn of events. Tartarus was fuming with anger. Once again he'd underestimated Percy Jackson. Initially, he'd thought making the oath was merely losing an advantage. But now he himself, the great Tartarus was rendered useless because of a stupid oath.

The war had not yet even begun after Tartarus entered the battlefield, but somehow suddenly things looked glum for the monsters. True, they had thrice the numbers. But when demigods go on a rampage, numbers matter little. Tartarus needed to get out of this situation. Unlike his children or wife, Tartarus was clever, patient and not as overconfident. He could already see the result of underestimating one lone demigod. Now right in front of him was an army. The Demigods and Gods had all taken up arms with a new kind of confidence that looked like it wouldn't falter anytime soon. They were patiently waiting for Tartarus to make his move, as he was the one to look for.

Meanwhile, Tartarus thought "If I fight right now, I won't be able to harm the demigods but these stupid Olympians will be able to attack my army. There's no oath binding them after all. On the other hand, if the army retreats it'll look like I'm weak. But if I...Hmm..." He had a thought as he smiled to himself.

Then he looked at Percy and said "Very well played Perseus. Indeed very well played. But do not think this will alter the result of this war. My victory is imminent!"

Percy smirked "Last time we had a chat I fooled you into making an oath. The time before that we had a chat I fooled you into believing that I was your ally. That's two out of two for me. You still wanna chat some more Tartarus? Or get on with the defeat as fast as you can?" Percy mocked.

Tartarus wasn't an egoistic jerk like Kronos but had high regard for himself. He fumed with rage and said darkly "Up until now I was taking this as a game. I wasn't even trying to attack you, just scare you. You made this personal Perseus Jackson. Now I will tread with caution."

"So I made the 'Oh so great Tartarus' cautious !" Percy countered.

Tartarus gave a sinister smile "You and I both know what I'm capable of Perseus. But by all means, laugh at me. I can put aside my ego if it means winning this war."

That wiped the smile off Percy's face as he watched Tartarus nervously.

"Think of new attempts to outsmart us and fail Tartarus. Meanwhile, if you don't mind, we're gonna kill your army. You can either chose to watch or fight the Gods. As it is, unlike some fools here no oath is holding the Olympians back from killing enemies. You have the numbers - unwinnable as it may seem. But we have the Gods." Percy said, making a huge mistake. Tartarus carefully scrutinized his words and clicked his fingers.

He gave a wide smile and spoke "You are absolutely right, no oath holds them back. But the laws sure do! You are a strange man, making me swear an oath then helping me in return!"

"What do you mean? The ancient laws allow them to fight now since you've shown up." Percy said, now confused.

Tartarus said "HA! Of course, of course. Keeping that conversation aside Percy, tell me this - if there are neither Gods nor me present in the battle, who do you think will win?"

"I don't have to think about scenarios that will never exist."

"Aw, no answer? Never mind, I know the answer. You'll lose. You'll die pathetically and painfully. Then the remaining numbers along with me can easily overpower the Gods!"

Percy shrugged carelessly, having no idea where Tartarus was leading this conversation. Iapetus spoke from the crowd

"Be that as it may, Tartarus...that can only happen in one of your dreams. Now I suggest you move on after being fooled and just fight and prepare to lose."

"Ah." Tartarus spoke coldly and with harshness "My 'son' !" He mockingly emphasized the last word then continued "Dreams do come true, don't they!"

Now Percy was looking at the Primordial warily, so were his friends. Tartarus' smile was meanwhile only growing wider by the moment. He continued

"Your Gods are here because I am. Without them, you are nothing. Similarly, without me, they are nothing. If I leave the battlefield then they will have to follow suit, the ancient laws prohibit them from participating in the fights of their children. You have no chance against this army now. HAHAHA!" Tartarus laughed delightfully as if he'd just hit a bullseye after multiple failed attempts. That looked to be true considering the gaping expressions of the demigods.

"You will run away?" Percy tried to hurt Tartarus' pride.

In return, to everyone's astonishment, the evil being just laughed.

"I may not be a strategist, but even a child can see what you're trying to achieve here Perseus. Call me a coward, shout out to this world that I ran away if that's what you desire. But you know as well as I do Jackson, once I'm done with you those you speak the tale of me leaving the battlefield to will have long gone to the underworld. As for my children, they think of this as a very smart move - they hate you kids and they'd love to have you for themselves, isn't it right children?" Tartarus looked at the huge army that was his children.

"Harr! Harr! and hundreds of other wild and weird noises echoed through the night that had become eerily silent as the monsters screamed and cheered in approval. The conversation and the drama ensued today had taken so long that dawn was just about to break. Annabeth realized this and decided that in order to stand a chance against this 'unwinnable' army as Percy had himself put earlier, they needed time. She needed to stall the conversation in order to let dawn break so the army could retreat - only a few minutes more.

"There must definitely be some flaws in your plan Tartarus, otherwise why would you lack confidence?" Annabeth chose words smartly as she had observed that while Tartarus didn't give in to pride hurting or egging on, he was helpless when curiosity got the best of him.

The daughter of Athena's words served their purpose, piquing Tartarus' interest. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and spoke "Me? Lacking confidence? I suffered a few setbacks, I admit. But this is a war and I didn't expect a no-show from you, I had anticipated it to not be easy. But I was always confident that the end result would be in my favor, so not sure what you speak of Annabeth Chase."

"The fact that you had to have Thalia kidnapped to get secrets out of her? The fact that you had to blackmail Artemis to spy for you? Or despite having such a huge army, resorting to immoral ways like kidnapping Percy's mortal mother and hurting her? Where was your confidence then Tartarus? Why would you stoop so low if you were confident of your numbers?"

Tartarus just smiled.

"They were all part of the plan. Some were unintentional, some urgent and some well thought of. And what you described was hardly stooping low, you silly girl. Remember, I had to take help from your pathetic boyfriend of a demigod. Demigod! I think if I can stoop so low as to do that, what I did most certainly qualifies as anything but showcasing lack of confidence."

"So you can do anything to win? Just how desperate are you? And why? It's not like we've done something to you. And as much as I hate to admit it, you seem like the kind of God who would prefer minding his own business. But suddenly you rise, you try to brainwash one of our own, then just set out to annihilate everything...why? Surely you don't hate the Olympians that much?" Annabeth tried a different approach.

Tartarus had a thoughtful expression on his face for a long time before he finally said: "Actually, the reason was you."

"Me? How?" Annabeth asked confused.

"You...and Perseus. You escaped from the pits of me alive. And not only that, you managed to turn two of my stronger children against me. One of them still fights alongside you. I first heard your name when Kronos was defeated. Then once again heard you were part of the seven that defeated my wife. I was curious to see what you must be capable of. You destroyed the giants and you made Gaea sleep. The Gods were present to assist you only because the prophecy demanded. In the past, I had heard a lot about brave heroes and their tragic ends." He paused to take a break then continued

"Your names though, all of you. I kept on hearing about your successes. I understood you worked as a team. There had been a hero or two that was exceptional in the past, sure. But a whole group was a novelty. At first, I thought there were only over exaggerations all around, then you came into my pit-body and proved me wrong. I had to come up and see for myself how good this lot was, how capable you were and how much were your capabilities exaggerated. Turns out they weren't. You actually got to me on a few occasions."

"You honestly must be the first enemy we've faced that actually entertained the idea of a possible failure in your head and planned accordingly," Annabeth observed.

Tartarus nodded "That is one of the main reasons I know I won't fail. I do not understand love, but I do not underestimate its power. Nor do I prefer to taunt or mock. A war is won on numbers and skills. Admittedly you have the skills, but the sheer numbers shall now render all the skillset in the world you possess helpless."

Now Annabeth was running out of plans to stall, it seemed to be taking the sun forever to rise today. She mentally cursed Apollo while Tartarus, for some reason was staring at Annabeth as if expecting or waiting for more to chat about. When Annabeth sighed, he gave a small smile and said

"Good try Annabeth, but like I told you I'm smarter than I look. If you want a day's break then honorably demand one. I can grant you that. I fight viciously but honorably. Stalling me isn't going to get you anywhere" Tartarus chuckled.

Annabeth's cheeks reddened as she felt like a kid being entertained just to keep her from crying.

She thought to herself "Chuckling! The nerve of him!"

Just then dawn broke, a ray of sunshine slipped through some clouds and hit the ground. The monsters were all murmuring and already beginning to retreat. They all literally retreated into the ground. In a few moments, the area was clear of monsters. Tartarus, however, stayed back.

Then he dramatically began sinking back into the ground. Halfway under the ground, he spoke

"Tomorrow this ends, one way or another. Be prepared for your final stand demigods. You tried hard, but now you have nothing to come up with. Numbers win wars, which I do have. Goodbye for today, you shall meet only my army henceforth as I promised. So once again Olympians" He said looking at the Olympians while almost fully having sunk into the ground

"You will only be able to watch as your children die...again." And with that, he sank beneath the ground. The ruptures and cracks in the ground didn't seem to fix itself, so the demigods guessed that the monsters and Tartarus would make an appearance from there itself the next day.

"Father, teleport the children to the throne room. We have to do something about the situation before we let any of the rest." Athena said referring to the need to make strategies for the day later as they faced an army thrice their size.

Zeus nodded and with that, the Gods flashed out to the throne room leaving Zeus behind. He himself first teleported there then with a snap of his fingers brought the demigods in the room.

Without wasting further time, Zeus asked Athena and her children to come up with something. Hope seemed to be decimated along with numbers in the enemy ranks. They had already lost more than half of their numbers - this was easily the bloodiest war there had been in recent times.

Meanwhile, Percy looked extremely sad. Not because of what the situation was but because of what he knew he had to do. One thing was certain - if they went to war now they had no chance of victory. He had zoned out, and when he heard the ongoing conversation Athena was shaking her head dejectedly and saying

"No father, there really is no way we can set so many traps. Besides these children need to rest otherwise they will faint on the battlefield."

"We have no chance of victory if you don't fight. We'll all die either way! So why not break the laws instead? Annabeth offered depressed.

"Ancient rules are self-upholding and have punishments that in the olden days were termed as unbelievably horrible. Who knows, if we break the laws and we are automatically thrown from rulership, Tartarus may be allowed to take over even if he is in a weak form. Laws cannot be played with my dear, we're sorry." Athena said softly, understanding that even if her daughter had suggested something unwise, she was in a flurry of thoughts and hence the suggestion.

"It's okay, mother, I understand."

After contemplating for a little longer, Percy spoke

"There is one way, but it's too risky." All the talking and discussions ceased, stares hooked at Percy with burning curiosity.

"Just say it, nothing can be riskier than our current predicament Percy." Poseidon urged his son to speak up.

After a huge intake of breath, Percy started "You remember the explosion at Camp Jupiter? Those special bombs?" He asked and a few nodded while the others waited for him to go on

"I had a few more designed, and I planted them in some other location also." (A/N: REFER CHAPTER 10 IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER THIS)

"What other location? Spit it out already." Frank spoke frustrated.

"Tartarus. The place where the current army is resting."

Total silence. Then total pandemonium.

"What the hell?"

"Why didn't you say sooner?"

"We can easily win this! Just blast the whole place!"

"We won't have to even fight!"

"ENOUGH!" Zeus boomed as the demigods silenced themselves. Then Percy took over.

"There were two reasons I didn't say this earlier. One was that the monsters only just now went to that place to rest and wait for the day to pass. No point blowing up an empty area, right? Second was...The gods would never allow it."

There were some confused murmurs.

"Percy, why would we not allow you to kill an army by blasting something underground? The damages may be austere, but in the end, we'll win without losing a single more life!"

"Because..." He hesitated.

Poseidon now looked his son in the eye and said

"Percy, son. Whatever it is, just say it."

Percy again inhaled a deep breath then said

"Because the location of those dynamites is sensitive and their quantity is humongous. Where they are planted, they will destroy the whole building there, I honestly don't know how even the mist will be able to hide something this huge."

"That isn't our concern Percy, right now we just have to win! Let the building be destroyed, let anything related to Greek and Roman mythology in that particular structure is destroyed. We can fix that."

Now Percy looked Zeus in the eye instead of his father

"I don't think so. Because that structure is this very building we are in."

Again there was silence.

A stupid Roman said "So what? We can just move out from here! The throne room was destroyed once and remodeled, it can be done again!"

Percy apparently knew the camper and addressed him by name

"Michael, are you aware that the Gods' power stems from their thrones?"

When The camper nodded Percy continued

"Last time the throne room was destroyed. All Kronos wanted was to destroy the thrones in individual to render the Gods powerless." And realization dawned on his face

"Oh..so...You mean the blast will destroy the thrones?"

Percy nodded meekly.

"The blast will destroy their power and most likely make them mortal. Then they will first have to defeat Tartarus who will be in full power. We have that sword of course, and we won't have an army against us. But Gods may actually die in that battle...not fade away temporarily to be reborn. They will permanently lose control over their domains. I and Jason might not be able to use air and water. Frank and Leo may be able to use their powers since they were born with it in their blood. The world won't have a ruler. It shall be total mayhem. Earth as we knew it will become history."

Once he finished, Percy looked at Zeus questioningly.

"As much as I hate to admit, these times are for survival, not power. But this is too much to give away. Some of us would rather die than become mortal and die at the hands of Tartarus. We will still call for a vote. This time only Olympians may vote. All in favor of Percy's idea raise your hands..."

(A/N: SINCE THIS IS MOST LIKELY THE SECOND LAST CHAPTER, I EDITED THIS MYSELF.) (VOTE AND COMMENT HOW IT GOES SO FAR, THIS IS DRAWING TO AN END NOW.)


	21. Chapter 20

**Ch. 20: The Voting**

* * *

 _(Recap: Once he finished, Percy looked at Zeus questioningly._

 _"As much as I hate to admit, these times are for survival, not power. But this is too much to give away. Some of us would rather die than become mortal and die at the hands of Tartarus. We will still call for a vote. This time only Olympians may vote. All in favor of Percy's idea raise your hands...")_

* * *

For a moment no hand was raised. Looks were exchanged, insecurity and unsureness spread throughout the throne room. Then one by one a few hands were raised.

The Gods who raised their hands were: Hestia, Hermes, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Demeter, Athena.

The Gods who did not raise their hands were: Hades, Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Ares, Dionysus.

 **7 FOR, 6 AGAINST**. A majority was required to pass the decision, otherwise, the plan would not be approved. The crowd was now staring at Poseidon anxiously.

Poseidon just stared at his son. Just like his brothers he did not wish to lose immortality. But his own son was asking for something for the first time ever, after having endured so much for them.

"Uhm...Uhm." Zeus coughed. "Looks like it all depends on you, Poseidon."

Poseidon meanwhile was torn between life and death, quite literally. With one last look at Percy, he spoke "I.. I... I'll go with my son. Hestia and the others... I stand by them."

That made the votes **8 FOR, 6 AGAINST.**

The demigods let lose their breath, the Gods were at a loss. Especially the Gods that voted in favour of staying immortal were dumbstruck, not at all liking the idea if losing mortality. There was no point in arguing, and although some very vehemently opposed the idea, it was all in their mind. In reality, they didn't want to challenge the Gods on the other side.

Zeus soon came out of the shock and coughed. "Uhm. So it's decided. We have to leave this area and let Percy blast Tartarus. The pit and the monsters shall never return, and Tartarus will have no choice but to fight us alone. Since the pit will permanently be destroyed, if we win this war we shall have complete riddance from monsters."

"But no immortality. This is preposterous! Zeus! You would let me die?" Hera asked her husband super sweetly. Before Zeus could utter a word, Jason of all the people interrupted with barely controlled fury and clenched teeth

"You stole our memories, killed so many of my brothers merely out of jealousy. You literally put us through shit. And now, even after we have lost so many friends, after so many children have given up their lives, you dare be so selfish! I don't care that you're a Goddess. You're a shitty one at that." His anger was rising gradually and he stared at the Goddess of Family and Marriage with complete and utter hatred.

Hera's eyes widened. She was about to say something, possibly attack Jason out of anger when Percy interrupted

"Lay one finger on him and you'll be up against an army of demigods. You may be able to take us down, or you may not. Willing to take any chances?" Percy threatened and raised his sword, as angered as Jason. As if on cue, the seven of the prophecy followed by Reyna, Nico and everyone else stood with murderous expressions. Even Grover had his reed pipes in his now trembling hands - trembling with anger, not fear.

Hera visibly looked shaken. She gulped and decided to have her revenge later on. She looked at Zeus for support. Zeus was meanwhile staring wide-eyed at the demigods. Every God resembled these expressions except Hestia, who looked as calm as ever.

"If this is the situation now, I don't even want to imagine what they'll do after we're mortal," Ares said, the last word tasting like acid in his mouth while describing himself.

Zeus looked at Ares

"They have the majority. As a king, I am bound to go with them even if my opinions differ. Let's just get it over with. Besides, it's just speculation that we'll become mortal. Who knows, we might become weak for some decades then regain full strength. Let's end this fast. If Tartarus begins an attack again we'll be too late."

Zeus had spoken with an air of authority that befits a king. The words rang in the walls of the throne room, creating an all too familiar echo. The feeling of Deja vu from Percy's planned execution swept over the crowd.

"Let's teleport to camp half-blood. It's the only safe place left for us." Poseidon suggested. Zeus nodded apprehensively and with a snap the demigods along with Chiron - who had been awfully quiet the entire time found themselves staring at the all too familiar interior of the big house. The numbers were so diminished that campers from both the camps comfortably fit. The teleportation was followed by bright flashes of white light as the Gods appeared in the house in human size.

Then Zeus created a screen. That's all he seemed to be doing off late - conjuring screens out of thin air. At first, the screen showed an image of the Throne room but soon the view had shifted. Now the whole building - the empire state building was visible.

"Percy, show me the remote," Zeus ordered.

Percy hesitantly outstretched a hand towards the Titan Iapetus who handed him the remote. Percy displayed it to Zeus instead of handing it over. The King of Gods and soon-to-be mortal father of Jason and Thalia Grace looked satisfied.

Before Percy could Press the remote, Athena interrupted.

"Wait! I want to change my vote!"

Wh...what!" Percy spluttered.

Sudden chaos followed. Annabeth was staring at her mother dumbfounded.

"SILENCE!" Zeus' voice ironically thundered.

The big house vibrated by the intense power and everyone quieted down.

"Athena, a vote once made cannot be changed."

Before Athena could reply, Artemis spoke up.

"Father, what you say is true. However, given the importance of the circumstances and taking into account that she is the wisdom Goddess, we should hear her logic first." She tried to reason.

The demigods didn't look convinced. But Zeus had a habit of conferring with Athena on every strategy. One of the main reasons he had decided against his own beliefs was that inarguably the smartest Olympian of the room disagreed with him. Now, this was just a chance to reverse the verdict. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then coughed

"Very well. We should hear her out." He finalized.

"Thank you father, you too Artemis. There was indeed logic in what I said. We are concentrating so hard on the present that we have not given a thought to the future. Just think...As Olympians, we have made so many enemies out of minor Gods. We forget that after the throne room is destroyed, only Gods that have thrones there stand a chance to lose immortality. The minor Gods will then become the only Gods and they won't follow a word from Zeus' mouth. They will come for revenge." She finished.

Zeus' eyes widened - he hadn't put a single thought into the aftermath.

"That is a serious complication. It seems as if changing votes will have to be allowed. Athena, are you absolutely sure you will change your vote?"

Athena merely nodded.

"Mother! I have seen death and been through hell and back. I have seen enough deaths for one lifetime. All this while if I've been quiet it's just out of respect for all that you have given me. But not anymore. I agree with Percy here. It's time you fought your own battles. You made enemies off your own actions and we shall no longer pay the price." Annabeth spoke resolutely.

The demigods once again showed unity and nodded their assent.

"Once made, the vote cannot change. The ancient laws state that. I have seen my children suffer innumerable burdens and perils. I have seen them face tragic and untimely death, all because of these laws. Now I shall not allow for those laws to be broken because you are too scared of facing consequences for your own actions, Athena." Poseidon spoke. But Zeus seemed to have gone deaf. He just said "7 FOR, 7 AGAINST. A tie means the plan will have no majority to be allowed to execute."

"So much drama..." Nico sighed. That earnt him looks from everyone.

He just disappeared into whatever shadow he had come from. Meanwhile, Athena was staring at both Poseidon and Annabeth with calculating grey eyes.

"Wait...we can't have a war amongst ourselves." Spoke Percy.

"Lord Zeus, if votes can change, voters from both the sides can switch sides, correct?" Zeus nodded.

Then Percy looked at Hades.

"You had a throne built by a demigod for you. Your power still ebbs from the underworld, not that artificial throne. Once Tartarus is destroyed, the underworld will have more power, meaning you will have more power."

At Percy's words, every eye went wide as a saucer and every God looked stunned.

Hades stood there pondering. He had been shunned too long and this was his one chance of payback for all these years. And with no threat from monsters, it was a double win for him - a major god having no competition and no enemies brave enough to fight him. He could literally rule the worlds, both under and above the ground.

"Just think, none of your brothers will be Gods, just you." Percy continued. When Poseidon looked at his son with disbelief, he sent a reassuring nod his way indicating he knew what he was doing.

Hades was momentarily at a loss, never having realized what he was voting against. He coughed and said, "It seems that I will be changing my vote as well."

"You power hungry imbecile! Have you no idea what you are doing? This again gives them the majority!" Zeus said aghast.

Hades simply stated "I support young Perseus' here. He is the reason I have my throne back, and he is also the reason my son Nico was saved. I owe it to him, that's all brother. You are needlessly getting enraged."

Zeus knew he was lying and so did every single soul, but neither of them could find valid points to retaliate. So Zeus just nodded his head in surrender.

"Seems like the plan will still be carried out on a majority. Perseus, do it before there are further interruptions or chaos erupts again.

Percy nodded and every single eye was glued to the screen.

The son of Poseidon breathed in a long breath, then proceeded to press the button that would trigger the detonation.

"BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!" Not one, not two, but a series of blasts echoed in the air as the ground was destroyed from within. The empire state building shook from its very foundation as the blast rocked the base upon which the monumental structure was created.

The impact lasted for about 30 seconds, after which curious looks were trained on the Gods. For a while, nothing happened. Then one by one every God and Goddess screamed in pain. The scream must have lasted barely a few seconds before they all fell down unconscious.

"Apollo campers, do something," Annabeth ordered. Will Solace, the head counselor of the Apollo cabin, however, stared at the fallen lot of Gods with uncertainty.

"How do we know we still have our healing powers?" He asked unsurely to no one in particular.

"We don't, just like I don't know whether I can still control water or not. The only way to find out is to try it. Take them to the infirmary and feed them some nectar and ambrosia." Percy replied.

"But if they're mortals, won't that stuff burn them?" Jason reasoned.

"That's a fair point, but then how do we heal them?" Will asked.

"Try the nectar and ambrosia," Jason said without much thought.

"And if they burn..?"

"Amen and rip and all that stuff then," Leo said. Unsurprisingly nobody argued.

Then Will said something that earned him smiles and winks from many demigods "I'll begin testing with Hera, see how much they can take up before...ah...something happens."

Even Chiron didn't say a word, and that didn't go unnoticed to Annabeth and Thalia.

"Chiron, why have you been so awfully quite?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah, you have not spoken a word since like forever."

Chiron just smiled sadly. "There is nothing to say, my dears. You all have done me very proud and it so rarely happens that you need me. When you do, I'll be here. Just keep up what you're doing and don't worry about me."

"Mars Almighty, look!" Frank suddenly shouted pointing at the still glowing screen.

The cracks from which Tartarus and his army had retreated for the day was emitting lava worse than when the cracks and ruptures had initially formed. The lava was so hot that vapors were released from the inside. And suddenly, a very angry looking Tartarus seething with rage, wrapped in lava appeared out of the opening.

"PERSEUS JACKSON! IAPETUS! I WILL END YOU!" He bellowed. Percy and Bob exchanged a wry smile. The others gulped as they could see anger radiating off Tartarus in waves of power. The power was clearly felt even through the screen, and that did little to boost the demigods who now didn't even have the Gods.

"We need to go and attack now, the Apollo campers will send the Gods once they heal. We can't let him wreak havoc in the city." Percy said. Everyone nodded, agreeing that they would test their powers while battling. Percy also decided to summon blackjack, he whistled a New York taxi cab whistle and his Pegasus came galloping down in a few seconds.


	22. Chapter 21

**Ch. 21: Day 5 - The Sword's Secret Part 1**

* * *

 **Possibly the final chapter, so let's have PERCY'S POV:**

I grabbed Annabeth's hand as we sat on Blackjack's back.

"You got any sugar cubes boss? Or doughnuts?"

"The world is about to end and the Gods have most likely lost immortality Blackjack, it's not the time for donuts!" I exasperated.

"Whatever you say boss." my Pegasus neighed sadly. I stroked his back affectionately. I'll never fully understand Pegasi.

Once Annabeth sat comfortably, I gave Blackjack the 'Go' signal.

"Go slow Blackjack, we need to keep up with Argus and the harpies, they are bringing the others in the camp trucks."

"Pfft, boss I can't go _that_ slow!"

"Unless you fancy a one on one meeting with a very angry Tartarus, you'll have to go slow, Blackjack." I deadpanned. He visibly gulped.

"Oh, I'll take going slow as a challenge! Humans have slow cycling races don't they!" I just rolled my eyes.

"Just get us there in one piece buddy, that's enough. Also, do you remember Tempest and Arion? Heard from them of late?" I asked while Blackjack's speed looked ridiculously slow and yet somehow I could see the truck being driven at very high speeds. The streets were empty courtesy the traitor God of sleep Morpheus once again. Blackjack responded in a negative to my earlier question and I hoped they would show themselves soon.

The hunters of Artemis were being led by Thalia and I just realized something. Reyna had already notified her sister Hylla and Lupa that she needed assistance. Now Lupa and her pack weren't frontline attackers but given the circumstances, I'd expected them to at least show up. And Hylla...It has now been 5 days since she was asked for aide and she still hasn't come. When does she plan to come...after the war is finished?

Soon I could sense sinister power, feel the anger and witness the destruction done by a very, _very_ angry Tartarus as he roamed the streets of New York. Mortals didn't seem to be harmed but the streets were filled with lava and tar.

"He seems close. We'll get down here buddy, get yourself out of here as fast as you can. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Pfft Please boss I can take care of myself!" Blackjack said confidently as he landed.

"You just take care of yourself. I don't know why evil beings hate you so much, you are nice and you bring me doughnuts..."

I sighed at my Pegasus' immaturity. Whoa, what? Since when did I become mature? Hmm...I guess it's true what they say - war does weird things to you. That and dating the smartest daughter of Athena.

"If only doughnuts are all they wanted, Blackjack. But no! They always want to take over the world. Now I can't be nice and give them that, can I?"

Blackjack replied but went unheard as a frustrated daughter of Athena who had been silently sitting behind my back holding my waist in her strong yet tender arms spoke

"Stop talking to a horse and start talking to a human Percy! I'm going crazy here!"

Blackjack turned out to be a coward after all... Seeing Annabeth's angry avatar he took off immediately, not even staying to say 'catch ya later, boss' like he usually does.

"Sorry wise girl. We were just talking about...uh...important matters!"

"Really? Like?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

When I didn't answer she said: "Doughnuts are hardly considered important matters seaweed brain."

Before I could reply, the camp trucks came to a screeching halt beside us and one by one people - armored and deadly looking demigods and an intimidating centaur to be precise started getting down. The Hunters of Artemis stood in one group while the demigods of both camps stood together socializing slightly. After the almost-war, it had been a bit difficult for them, but mostly because of the guilt each one had.

"Percy, you sense that power?" Chiron asked me.

"I do, that's why I had to stop Blackjack here. We need to move straight."

Once the demigods nodded we set out. For those of you interested or curious, the path and side of the city we were in was nowhere close to the Empire State Building. We just followed the villain almighty's trail and path of destruction.

Once the demigods and the wild, as well as Tyson and the Cyclops, had all arrived at the rendezvous point as discussed in an IM, started going in the decided direction. I had a chat with Tyson and Grover first of course and hugged both of them tightly before proceeding.

After a few moments of silent walking and careful and wary steps, we finally had a clear view of Tartarus.

"Perseus Jackson! I could've smitten you like ants yesterday, but I chose the path of honor. And what did you do? Go behind my back and kill all of my children and make my home inhabitable? You will pay dearly for that, yes...very dearly indeed!" His eyes were burning with insanity and bloodlust.

He was wreathed in an aura that flowed off his body and swayed the nearby objects and made the lighter ones fly into the air. It was like a horror movie with surreal VFX, only this was very much real. The air around him crackled with electricity and fire. He literally looked waist deep in flames and yet he was unfazed. His body shook with force and fiery rage seemed to have taken over him completely. The most intimidating thing of this form was his - oh my. Those eyes...they weren't orbs or balls but pitch black nothingness. Literal, freaky, scary holes. And behind those pitch, black eye-holes were flames - Flames raging and dancing as if lava was boiling in his body.

True to that guess, there were minor cracks in his body from which a red and orange colored liquid was oozing out - Pure Boiling Lava. That sight was enough for the bravest demigod I've known - Annabeth to clutch my hand tightly with eyes wide as saucers. I wouldn't be too surprised if a few demigods ran away, and I honestly wouldn't blame them. The Tartarus we had been dealing with so far was a controlled Primordial with sane actions. This was not that Tartarus. This was the Tartarus of the underworld. This was the real Tartarus' form, the one that had birthed all those deadly and emotionless monsters. The one that wouldn't think before destroying, blink before annihilating or feel before painfully delivering gruesome deaths. This was the power of the pit itself, the angered God of the pit had released all his fury caused by the death of all his children. This was the one, the one that I and Annabeth had faced. The one that had made my knees buckle, my mind numb and made my sword drop. This was the Tartarus that held enough power to raze the world without too many efforts. And we had a group of teenage warriors and a few wild and handful of Cyclopes- all of whom looking scared out of their wits and numb on their knees to fight him. Not to mention the absence of the Gods. Joy.

"Be ready to pay for your actions. I was STUPID! STUPID THAT I WAITED SO LONG...waited so long when I could have DESTROYED YOU ALL!" His voice modulation and pitch changes were so fierce and powerful that even I was scared. Yes, I could only imagine what the newer, younger campers must be going through. I couldn't move or speak, act or think. I could imagine the others going through the same thing, each and every one of them since I'd sneaked a glance at Chiron and even he seemed to be in a trance. The old centaur was a veteran of centuries, and if anything ever produced could stun him into silence, it was obvious none of us newbies stood a chance. But I was so wrong.

Someone did the unthinkable. Someone broke us all out of our shocks and then again shocked us when we saw his face. Someone had just attacked Tartarus, who was equally shocked. The attack was strong and determined, making Tartarus stutter a few steps back. No, nobody had used a sword or a spear or an arrow.

Tartarus had just been attacked by a huge fireball, courtesy Leo Valdez. Leo, our friend, the dude whom we called repair boy. That same guy was completely surrounded in flames, his eyes were blazing very much like Tartarus except that they were orange instead of pitch black. He emanated power that could rival a minor Gods', his eyes dance with anger, sorrow, pain, regret and a ton of other emotions. The site was intimidating and eye-opening. It shook us out of our thoughts and made us realize two things at once. Before I could, Jason voiced them out loud.

"LOOK! WE HAVE THE NUMBERS, AND AS PROVEN HERE WE HAVE POWERS WE WERE BORN WITH! WE STAND A HUGE CHANCE OF VICTORY!"

These words gave each one a new hope, and Annabeth, Piper, Reyna, Nico, Frank, me and Jason took the front line, the couples holding each others' hands with one hand and weapons with the other. The rest of our friends rallied behind us. Leo stood separately since he was in flames, but he stood at the front in a challenging pose. We had none of the Apollo kids, neither Greek nor Roman since Will had requested the Gods needed as many healers as possible. We were short on archers, so the onus was on the hunters of Artemis and the few remaining Roman archers led by Frank. Chiron and all the archers of the group stood at the back, ready to rain down arrows at the Primordial of the Pit. If only the Amazons were here...

Once we were ready in a group, we passed nods between each other in the frontline and Annabeth inhaled deeply. Then with full force, she yelled "ATTACK!"

For a moment, Tartarus had wide eyes, and that caused many of us to smirk, mostly all of us to gain confidence. A group of over a hundred demigods (Yes, sadly we were reduced to just that), about the same number of wild creatures and a few tens of cyclopes, maybe over 40 attacked one lone being.

But then Tartarus' expressions changed into a sinister smirk as fast as they'd changed to uncertainty, and our confidences suffered a choke just as quickly.

Suddenly, he disappeared from his place. We were charging like bulls, and only when Tartarus was no longer there did we realize there was a crack in the ground which would lead to that place we all knew. The front liners yelled a warning, but the momentum was hard to contain. We halted just near the edge of the crack, a few of us namely me, Piper and Frank had our footwear burnt due to the small flames flying out off the crack.

"GET BACK! GET BACK!" I yelled, knowing full well that Tartarus would take advantage of the situation. Like a car in reverse gear, everyone started walking back warily, alert to fend themselves against the enemy. We were almost at a safe distance, when suddenly Tartarus appeared again, with a blast. Right in the middle of the demigods. The ones at the center instantly lost their lives, while the ones in the nearby area went flying in various directions in the air. Unfortunately, not all of them could attain that height. Travis, who was standing almost by our side as the front line was hit by the force of one of the flying victims.

"TRAVIS!" His brother Conner screamed while Katie, who was closest to him tried to outstretch her hands; but it was too late. Travis Stoll had just tumbled into the hot lava after losing his balance. It was actually a waste, a tragic death. But those who knew him including Chiron could just watch in horror, just wordlessly witnessing yet another death of a hero. Meanwhile, the demigods in the middle were trying to fend off Tartarus as he used a scythe to send powerful blows towards them. They were having great difficulty in defending, and just when it looked like the rest of us would reach there soon to help them, Tartarus again disappeared.

Annabeth must have realized Tartarus' idea or maybe come up with something of her own as she screamed for the demigods to break formation and scatter.

"Each one needs to be alert! Hold your own! Separate and stay alone!" She shouted once the formation broke.

"Annabeth! Why would you do that!?" Chiron exclaimed just as Tartarus appeared suddenly in front of the wild. The satyrs couldn't do much except play their reed pipes. It was great against Hyperion, but Tartarus was another tale. He picked up a nearby car like the hulk and threw it up in the air and towards the wild. Then he summoned a vial of Greek fire from thin air and threw it towards the car. The timing was so exquisite that just as the car was about to hit the ground that the wild had scattered away from in fright, the vial hit it resulting in a huge blast that saw about over one-fourth of the Wild lose their armies. Grover looked so dangerous there, he was playing a very angry tune. Just as a few roots from the underground were about to trap Tartarus, he disappeared again.

"If he keeps on doing this, we are in trouble," Nico said dryly, but his eyes were angry, and I could tell he was saving his energy instead of summoning the dead from the ground.

Just then a voice spoke in front of Nico "Oh you are already in trouble!" And Tartarus appeared in front of Nico di Angelo suddenly.

Meanwhile, Annabeth had realized her mistake that Chiron had pointed out and had instructed everyone to stand in small groups of twos and threes. Unfortunately, Tartarus had appeared before Nico just as the command was to be executed. Had there been someone else, I'm sure he would have been very startled. Tartarus expected this as well, so not wasting a lot of time he thrust his scythe in Nico's chest; only to have it meet thin air.

Then amazingly, Nico's voice spoke just like Tartarus' had

"These cheap parlor tricks cannot startle the man who sees ghosts more than the living each day, Tartarus." Then Nico appeared behind Tartarus and tried to attack him. But Nico wasn't known for his stealth once he made himself known away from the shadows. Tartarus spun back to block an attack directed towards his spine, which became his chest as he turned to face Nico while defending. He deflected it in time with his scythe and kicked Nico back. The son of Hades was strong, but no match for Tartarus as he flew back about five feet and landed hard on the ground. With just one kick.

He crashed hard on the concrete pavement near the road and once again Tartarus had disappeared. Nico hadn't passed out, but he was having a hard time getting up. Eventually, he did pass out, but we suspected it was more from the exhaustion of using his powers than the kick that Tartarus had dealt him. A camper immediately rushed to Nico's side to feed him Ambrosia and help him up or at least regain consciousness again to be able to defend himself.

"WE CAN'T WIN IF THIS GOES ON! WHAT DO WE DO!" Katie screamed in frustration and sadness, still not quite over how one of the Stolls had died.

"HAHAHA! YOU DON'T! YOU JUST DIE!" Tartarus said, and you could literally feel the sinister smirk hidden, lurking somewhere, waiting to pounce. He was very smart, he didn't go for the Cyclops.

A few moments passed, and the demigods were getting more anxious by the second, heart throbbing with each passing moment.

"Annabeth! Think something!" I whispered to Annabeth. Meanwhile, Nico was up and armed but dared not move from his position.

"I'm trying Percy, I'm trying! Tartarus...disappearing...which...not his domain...what power..." And that's when you leave Annabeth alone to think. Meanwhile, I thought of something.

"Pipes...Pipes..." I whispered.

When the daughter of Aphrodite looked at me I said: "Call him and try to make him stay!"

For a moment she was confused I was asking her of all people, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and said: "How can I make him listen to me?"

"Just like you did Gaea, of course!"

Charmspeak. It was worth a shot...

"Tartarus! Show yourself!" Piper shouted and I could feel the amount of power she used. But Tartarus didn't appear.

For a fleeting moment we thought he had given up, but just then a bright red flash was seen as Tartarus appeared...in front of Chiron - who was armed only with a bow and an arrow. He had a spear strapped at his back, but by the time he would reach for it, it would be too late and Tartarus was already smirking, just about to bring down his scythe while screaming the words "SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR BELOVED TEACHER!". His back was turned to us, and we couldn't breathe any longer...

(OKAY I KNOW I KEEP SAYING FINAL CHAPTER BUT THIS JUST WON'T END! THIS IS ALREADY CLOSE TO 3000 WORDS AND IF I WRITE MORE YOU WILL PROBABLY SLEEP BY THE END OF IT! PROMISE, THE NEXT ONE WILL REALLY BE FINAL. MEANWHILE, LET'S HOPE CHIRON DIES PAINLESSLY...OR YET BETTER...SURVIVES.)


	23. Chapter 22

**Ch. 22: Day 5: The Sword's Secret Part 2**

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 _A/N: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CHAPTER IS OVER 5K WORDS, SO IN CASE YOU STOP READING MIDWAY DUE TO LACK OF TIME DON'T FORGET TO BOOKMARK THAT AREA! ALSO, THERE IS SOME CONFUISON REARDING HOW TARTARUS COULD TTACK DEMIGODS DESPITE HIS OATH IN THE REVIEWS, THAT WILL BE CLEARED IN THE EPIOGUE._

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( _Recap: For a fleeting moment we thought he had given up, but just then a bright red flash was seen as Tartarus appeared...in front of Chiron - who was armed only with a bow and an arrow. He had a spear strapped to his back, but by the time he would reach for it, it would be too late and Tartarus was already smirking, just about to bring down his scythe while screaming the words "SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR BELOVED TEACHER!". His back was turned to us, and we couldn't breathe any longer...)_

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 **PERCY'S POV:**

My throat went dry as I stared helplessly at the horrifying scene in front of me. We were all scattered now, and while Annabeth had instructed us all to remain in small groups of 3 or 4 Chiron was busy making sure we actually were in groups. Tartarus was just about to deliver the final blow to our teacher and we had frankly lost all hope. Many people including me, Annabeth, Piper, Katie and Jake dramatically screamed "NO! LEAVE HIM!" in one voice. Just then the most astonishing thing happened. Tartarus actually stopped; but not of his own accord apparently, since he very monotonously lowered his scythe and backed a few steps away from Chiron.

Then as if just realizing what he'd done he stared at Chiron in horror as if some unknown force was guarding the old centaur. At first, I thought maybe Chiron being an immortal stunned him but...oh yes! So that's why Chiron was so nervous and awfully quiet! Just like the minor Gods, even Chiron was still immortal; but since Zeus had blessed him he must've been wondering if that boon would last once Zeus regained consciousness as a mortal! GAH ADHD!

Meanwhile, Chiron was equally shocked and stood rooted to his spot. In all the confusion we missed the golden chance to attack a very stunned Tartarus. The pit God though gathered himself quickly and...disappeared. Once again.

"ARGH! THIS IS ANNOYING! STOP RUNNING AND FACE US, YOU FREAK! YOU COWARD!" An irritated Leo screamed in frustration.

"This is bad.." Annabeth suddenly muttered, her eyes widened. Only the people close to us could hear that as we all looked at her in confusion.

She shook her head, not in a refusing gesture but more as in a 'No that's not possible' gesture. She said, "Tartarus isn't here!"

I frowned my eyebrows "Annabeth, stay alert. He is here somewhere and he will come and attack anytime!"

"He will attack soon yes, but right now he isn't here!"

"What does that mean Annabeth?" Nico suddenly spoke up, conscious now after that blow from Tartarus. Will was still by his side, but the son of Apollo looked exhausted.

Just as Annabeth was about to reply, Reyna spoke up "Wait...I think I know what she means...Annabeth, are you trying to say that when he disappears, he doesn't become invisible but actually...like teleports himself out like the gods do while traveling?"

Annabeth merely nodded at first then cleared our confusion completely "When Piper called him earlier using all her Charmspeak his appearance or form didn't even flicker into existence let alone completely form and attack us. But when she screamed for him to stop now, not even trying to charm speak but just using her natural voice we all saw the effect. The only explanation to that would he didn't come earlier because he didn't hear Piper. In that case, her Charmspeak is a very useful weapon we have."

My mouth opened a bit and I stared at the spot Tartarus had just vanished from. All I could say was "Oh."

"Great, but, uh...how does that help us Apart from learning the fact that Charmspeak is his weakness like Gaea?" Frank asked.

I could already see how it would, so I clarified his confusion

"It helps a great deal, Frank. If we can somehow stop him from going to wherever he disappears to and stay here, that will give us a huge advantage! I said.

"Oh I hadn't thought of it that way...that would be great!"

Jason's expressions looked doubtful and he spoke "What place can there possibly be that a Primordial cannot teleport out of? And if he can't teleport in how do you plan on bringing him there?"

We all thought for a while and suddenly my eyes widened seeing the army like this - lost in thoughts, weapons lowered a bit.

"EVERYONE! BE ALERT! WHILE WE THINK OF A PLAN TARTARUS MAY ATTACK ANYONE FROM ANYWHERE! SOME OF YOU HAVE EVEN LOWERED YOUR WEAPONS! THINK AND BE ALERT SIMULTANEOUSLY IF YOU WANNA LIVE!" I had to shout to make myself heard and followed immediately. Once that alertness returned in their posture I stared at Annabeth, silently asking her for a plan. She coughed and said

"There is one such place...I think."

Her hesitation made me nervous - Annabeth was never unsure of her plan, so she must be frightened by the idea. And what could frighten her... I gulped at the thought.

Upon receiving curious looks from us Annabeth continued "Tartarus..."

"Yes, wise girl. Tartarus...he cannot teleport out of..? Please just say it." I impatiently said.

Piper - who looked a bit fidgety spoke "Uh...Percy, I think she already did..." to which Annabeth solemnly nodded...and it finally hit me. Tartarus. Tartarus could not teleport out...of Tartarus!

"Of course!" I snapped my fingers.

Jason seemed to have realized too, and with a deep breath, Annabeth cleared the confusion of the remaining campers and the wild and Cyclopes.

"All throughout the war Tartarus has always been appearing out of crevices and cracks in the ground. We always thought it was a show of intimidation. But he appeared like this because unlike the Gods who can teleport out of the throne room, Tartarus cannot do so even in his own domain! Which also supports the theory that if granted permission, Gods can teleport in and out of each others' domains but not the pit."

"Okay, now our course of action is clear. Tartarus has been blown - the pit I mean, not the God obviously. So we should not face any threat treading there. We have to go in there and corner Tartarus so he can't escape. From there on our numbers should win the war for us." I suggested.

"Yeah but dude these cracks in the wall are all oozing hot lava. How do you propose we get in?" Leo asked.

Frank added

"Yeah and mate you destroyed only the monsters. There's a ton of absolutely nasty and deadly rivers in there. If we just jump and suppose somehow find a way to survive the lava, what's to say we won't fall into the river of flames and turn to ash or fall into the Lethe and lose our memories or something?" A few demigods shivered at the thought, but Annabeth had a confident solution.

"We don't have to jump. We created a very big crater ourselves and we can get in from there. I can't be sure of the rivers, we'll have to see that. But that way at least we won't have to jump in but walk in and see and choose the path for ourselves."

"You mean the crater that was created when we blew up the throne room?" Iapetus spoke...and he'd been so quietly traveling and fraternizing with the cyclopes I'd almost forgotten he was there. Annabeth nodded at the Titan.

"Okay so load the trucks fast before Tartarus comes back. The charmspeak was a bad shock, but he won't take forever to get over it. He'll attack eventually, and we need to be gone by then. Get into the cabs as you came and hurry to the empire state building, we'll meet outside, obviously... the inside is most probably the pit itself."

And with that, they all climbed aboard and Annabeth and I hopped on Blackjack who had appeared within two seconds of my whistle.

"I think I told you to get some distance between me and you blackjack, you were waiting close by weren't you?"

"You're too reckless on ya own boss, ain't leavin' ya alone ever..so what if ya girlfriend's scary..."

I just chuckled at that, but we didn't have any more conversations in fear of what my 'scary girlfriend' would do at once again being left out of the conversation. She just lay her chin on my shoulders and let the breeze hit her face, her hair dancing with the wind. Soon we reached the destination and once again I requested blackjack to stay away from me to be safe, but he just neighed a stubborn 'no' and flew away.

The site of the building was indeed depressing. The whole area of the lobby and the entrance ground were gone, a gigantic crater replacing it. Some remnants of the building still stood tall, but they looked as if they were just waiting to fall over and one strong breeze would do the trick. The crater was divided into many different small holes in the ground, some oozing lava while some allowing passage of the rivers while some just lay there in dark.

"First of all, we'll have to find an entrance safe enough to enter, seaweed brain," Annabeth spoke looking at me. I nodded and suggested that while others do that job she should go comfort Katie like Jake Mason was comforting the only living Stoll twin. She nodded, and once I saw everyone looking at me expectantly I said

"Okay, I doubt Tartarus will find us here for a while. Scout this place and see what you can find. If you spot a safer entrance call us. Don't step in alone, come what may!" I firmly instructed, and everyone began scouting. Annabeth went towards Katie after kissing me, and I set off to find some safe entrance that didn't require us jumping down into lava or a river of lost souls. Just when I was looking for something some mist caught my eye. An Iris Message...had to be from camp. Turned out it was, it was Will Solace.

"Will! What news?"

"Loads Percy, but what are you...wait WHERE are you?!" He exclaimed.

"No time for that. Just know that the safest place right now for us is _inside_ Tartarus, so that's where we will go. You tell me what is the status of the Gods?"

"It's what we feared Percy. They're mortal now..."

I sighed in sadness. That was it. I had just condemned my father and my friends' fathers and mothers to an inevitable death and loss of immense power.

Will continued

"The good thing is their skills are still like unearthly, the bad thing is...well the phrase 'All good things must come to an end' just changed to 'all GOD things must come to an end; if that makes sense."

I nodded."It does, unfortunately. Okay, so I guess you'll be coming along with them? We need healers here now more than ever, not to mention added numbers in the form of...uh _mortal Gods_..."

"Yes, we are all just getting ready. And now we know your location so just wait for us for a while we'll come soon. But listen, Percy, there's more." When I motioned for him to go on he said "Hestia does not wish to fight. And your mom is in a coma, but she's safe and should return to consciousness soon. Should I leave your mom with Hestia?"

"Yes Will, thank you so much for allowing her inside the camp and treating her. I trust Hestia to take care of my mom. You guys come soon, we'll be waiting."

He nodded then again said, "Okay one last thing, there's this bad news I don't know how to say..."

"Just say it, dude." I encouraged him. And he did.

As soon as I heard him my eyes widened and I quickly erased the message in fear that anybody would hear it. I then scanned the crowd and fixated my gaze on Reyna who was busy assessing the surroundings. She looked so tired and worried, and I didn't have the strength to go tell her.

Tell her that some of Will's siblings had just returned from a scout carrying bodies of female warriors known as the Amazons...and that one of them was wearing the belt that belonged to the queen. I didn't have the courage to tell Reyna that Hylla - her sister and only remaining family was dead. I could see Thalia instructing the hunters about some things, and I could see that the sword I'd given her was sheathed at her side proudly. I realized just then...

I immediately went up to Thalia and spoke to her "Thals can I have a word with you in private?"

She looked at me with worry and concern

"Sure Percy. Just give me a minute." She proceeded to instruct her hunters to carry out various tasks and once we were alone she looked at me again "What is it Perce? Is everything fine?"

"Thals...don't use that sword...let your father use it."

"My father? Wait, dad is coming here? Is he fine? Is he mortal? Are they all fine? And why can't I-"

I had to cut her off "-Yes they are fine, but sadly also yes they are mortals. We no longer have the Gods by our side Thals. And as for that sword, I need you to trust me once again...can you do that?"

She looked at me for a while then breathed and let out a sigh "I trust you, kelp head. I hope you know what you're doing..."

I smiled at that "I do, don't worry. Just hand the sword to Zeus when I say, not too soon because I don't trust him enough with this." Once she nodded, I shouted for everyone to gather. Once they had I narrated the news of the gods' mortality and arrival. Most of them seemed to take it well; not caring much about their parents right now after having lost so much. Then I sent them all to once again find an entrance. I was counting on Hazel and Nico the most to find us a safe path into the pit given their parentage.

Suddenly a small snake slithered near me and I had to take out my sword in defense. Suddenly it spoke "Percy it's me! Hazel found an entrance! Come quick !"

"Frank ! Dude, honestly! Couldn't you have come up with something less threatening and more friendly appearing? You know I was about to cut you into two!"

"Oh sorry. Wait a second." He said and turned into a cheetah. "Climb on my back fast, Annabeth, Nico, and the others are already assessing the hole."

"Alright bro, let's go!" and I climbed on his back and we reached the hole in seconds. Almost every demigod had reached there by now. I went to the front and looked at it. The hole was dark but Leo's flames had lit some part of it.

"Percy, finally you're here. I was just telling them that this hole looks very safe. I sense a straight path in and a huge area inside." Hazel said.

"We have decided to properly assess the hole with our powers and abilities, Percy," Annabeth added.

I just nodded waiting for Annabeth to instruct us further.

She began "Hazel first tell us the approximate size of the place inside and how much of it do you feel safe."

"I feel the safe area is for the beginning approximately 400 meters or so. It's huge and can comfortably fit us all, but I can't say if there are rivers or ghosts or something; that's Percy and Nico's task."

Annabeth nodded and turned to Jason.

"Okay now Jason, go near the hole and tell us what kind of air do you feel inside and everything else we should know."

Jason nodded and went very close to the hole and closed his eyes in concentration. After a while, his face turned into a frown and still with eyes closed he spoke "Okay I sense a lot of Sulphur in the air. It's also too thick for all of us to breathe for more than some time. Maybe an hour max considering all of us here including the cyclopes and the wild enter and the Gods breathe normally.

Other than that there is a high amount of humidity and particles of Phosphorous and Celestial Bronze floating in the air. Due to the explosion, I presume. It's poison to all of us, so now we don't have more than half an hour inside. These time calculations are based on the size as Hazel said." Whoa...he is an expert in his domain, isn't he?

Annabeth nodded and turned to Nico "Nico, do you feel any ghosts or unwanted dead? Do you feel any life there? Do we have to be wary of any enemies?"

Nico went closer to the entrance and bent on one knee, put his right hand on the ground inside the entrance and stayed thus for about twenty seconds. Then he got up, dusted his black jeans and stood back where we were. Then he inhaled and said "There is a lot of monster energy, but it's impossible for a monster to have survived that kind of a celestial bronze blast. So they're all dead. It's clear, no enemies and no ghosts." He concluded.

Then she turned to me and her calculating gaze softened as she spoke: "I think you know what to do seaweed brain." I nodded and went near the entrance. I couldn't sense anything even after concentrating, but I didn't wanna leave things to chance.

"Leo, Frank come inside with me. We'll go about 50 meters in and I'll concentrate once again from there. Standing here I can't get much distance covered."

They both just nodded and flanked me on either side as I uncapped Riptide and went in. Leo set his hands on fire to provide light while Frank had his sword and shield out.

"Frank, I'll need some time to concentrate. Cover me and Leo. Leo meanwhile please keep the light bright."

They both nodded and I sat on a knee and sent out my powers to feel for any ancient waterbody or it's tributary that may have been formed due to the blast. After about three or four minutes I had what I needed and it was time to head back.

Once in the open air, I breathed some bouts of fresh air; I observed Leo and Frank do the same then go and stand by their girlfriends. I went beside Annabeth after giving my verdict to the people keenly watching me; which was that no river body stood in the way for at least 500 meters.

"So no rivers for 500 meters, but Hazel says safety is only in the first 400 meters. To sum up everything, we have about half an hour to go inside, set an ambush for Tartarus, kill him and get out; all while making sure Tartarus does not leave the region of approximately 400 meters." Annabeth concluded.

Reyna spoke up "Tartarus may not escape from here, but there is the other side as well which is unsafe for us. We will set up a line of archers at the border so that Tartarus cannot run away from there for respite. Same for this boundary." Annabeth liked the plan and nodded appreciatively. Just then we heard the voice of engines.

"Engines...I hear truck engines. The Apollo cabin and the Gods are close." Leo said. Soon enough the trucks came into view. They were parked and out came the rest of our friends of the Apollo cabin. The Gods stepped out next. They were looking more or less the same, but that regal aura was gone.

Whispers began about the Gods. "Are they really mortal?" "So they can die?" "So we can kill Her...I mean Hera can die?" Okay, that last one was Piper, but none of us took our eyes of this site. We were facing 'Mortal Gods'.

All of them looked the same as they did while they were battling Typhon and the Giants in the two wars, but we could feel that the power that you identified a God with was missing. They stood in a horizontal line and kept staring at us, gauging our reactions. None of them looked particularly happy, but it seemed everyone had faced it as the inevitable - even Hera. Zeus finally coughed and said "Uh...I believe there is a reason we are all here?"

We came out of our trance and focussed on the task at hand.

"Okay we have identified a few things and have come up with a plan; we need to act fast," I said. Then I went on to narrate the incidents of the day, right from the deaths to how Chiron was saved by Piper's charmspeak (that earned a loud squeal and a clap from Aphrodite) to our current plan of trapping Tartarus and our assessment of the entrance.

Once I was done I took a deep breath while the Gods looked unsure of entering Tartarus even after the threats were mostly blown. However, not-so-surprisingly Ares was still grinning like a madman. Hmm...so their powers are gone but the attitude and mindset stay. Oh well.

"Okay, now I believe Annabeth has a plan ready for us. Wise girl? The stage is yours." I looked at Annabeth to begin.

She cleared her throat and began, "We have about 400 meters of space inside the pit. A group of archers led by Apollo shall spread out through the circumference of the inside limit. Similarly, a group led by Frank will cover the outside as soon as Tartarus enters inside. Till then Frank and his group will be hidden somewhere and wait for a signal. Jason and Piper will have a group of demigods and a few Gods with them. This group will stay outside and wait for Tartarus to find us. Any questions so far?"

Athena spoke, "The plan is good, daughter, but I'd have Artemis and her hunters guarding the inside rather than a group led by Zhang. The Roman is a good spear fighter too and the Roman style of fighting will be more useful to you during the fight as it will bring variation."

Annabeth nodded and then looked at Frank and Thalia one by one as she spoke their names and continued, "Okay Frank, you got that? We'll need you inside. Lady Artemis and Thals you will be guarding the outside with your sisters." Once they nodded she again continued, " Okay so Jason as soon as you spot him, you know what to do." Jason nodded and said "Lure him in. Got that. But won't he disappear again as soon as he sees the pit? He will realize the whole plan when he sees the missing numbers and runs away again, then what?"

Annabeth was about to reply but a squealing Aphrodite beat her to it "Pipes will use her charmspeak! You have my daughter with you don't you!" Jason flinched from the squeal but understood that Annabeth had planned things just that way and gave her a thumbs up. Then Annabeth again continued, "Once Tartarus enters, Lady Artemis and the others will stand guard outside the entrance and rain down arrows at will when we are recovering or at a safe distance from Tartarus to take aim. Apollo and his group will do the same, but please don't hit us with our arrows. We might die and that won't be very nice."

The plan was good, I decided to conclude.

"Once Tartarus is inside he'll face all the Gods, a titan, the wild, the cyclopes and all of us. Jason, me you and Iapetus will be at the forefront since we are the best with a sword. The Gods will be with us. Piper, once we're inside please refrain from using charmspeak unless it is life and death. Because he's only one and he's a God. Your words affect all of us and if he recovers faster than we do we'll be in a trance mode while he kills us all. Anything else that needs to be sorted now would be the time to say it."

Hermes spoke, "Won't you guys put us in some cool formation like you did the last time Percy?"

I sighed. He's almost another Apollo.

"Against one opponent? Seriously?" I asked him and he just shrugged.

Zeus coughed a bit to get our attention and spoke,

"Okay, now we should get moving. Grab your weapons and armors and be ready. We have to end this thing soon. Jason, my son. Go and get Tartarus inside. We'll be waiting."

Soon enough the plan was arranged for execution. Jason and Piper along with a handful of demigods set up camp a few yards away from the hole and we were all inside the pit already, hoping Tartarus would be here soon else we would die breathing the toxic air. As decided, as soon as Tartarus appeared a lot of lightning strikes would be heard, courtesy of Jason. Then we would get ready and as soon as Tartarus was lured in, we would all attack as one. I had cleverly made myself and Annabeth stand beside Zeus and my dad so that when the time came Thalia could toss me the sword and I could hand it over to Zeus. I had taken an oath not to speak of the sword but after Zeus would use it, everything would become crystal clear. We were all waiting inside while the hunters were well camouflaged outside itself, waiting to block the entrance once Tartarus and our friends all entered the opening of the pit.

Soon we could hear the BOOM! of thunder followed by another and another until we counted about 10 in all. We all watched the entrance like hawks, gaze fixated for any movement and legs tensed to pounce on the entrant. Soon enough we could hear the voices of a raging tornado and Tartarus was suddenly forced into the entrance by his legs courtesy Piper's charm speaking skills. We, however, lost the element of surprise as Zeus couldn't resist saying "The Plan worked! Tartarus, we shall destroy you now !"

Tartarus' eyes widened so much you could maybe fit a tennis ball in it. Then he slowly started backing a few steps only to see Jason and the others staring at him with hate. A few arrows pierced his butt and he screamed an "OWW" that made a few of us raise our eyebrows. We didn't waste much time as we pounced on the pit God with all the anger and frustration, grief and sadness of the war. The Gods along with us combined were no match for him. I slashed, cut and stabbed constantly. All of us were going ultra offensive, neither one of us showing an ounce of defense in our technique. Leo wasn't flaming, but he was pounding on Tartarus' armour with his hammer. Tyson had a stick, but boy when that stick hit Tartarus once on the head he stumbled at least fifteen yards back because of the power of the blow. Soon enough we could see he was tiring out. Even he could feel it because just as we anticipated he made a run for the exit. To the other side this time, trying to go further deep into the pit. Apollo had the area covered, he shot arrows at unbelievable speeds. Tartarus dodged most of them being a Primordial, but the numbers were just too much for him and so were the archers. A few of them hit him in the leg and he fell down on the ground with a thud. For a while all of us stopped breathing, waiting for his next move.

Suddenly, he started shaking. Some ashes flew off from his body as if he were burning in flames.

We didn't understand what was happening, but Tartarus suddenly stood up with an air of confidence. He struggled to maintain balance, but he stood up nonetheless.

"Smart. Very smart indeed. I didn't underestimate you, but you still outplayed me. Guess this is the end huh. Well if it's the end for me I'll make damn sure it's the end for all of you as well!"

He then started muttering some words in a language that was neither Greek, Latin nor English.

Iapetus' eyes suddenly widened in realization. "He's gonna reveal his true form and blow the pit away along with us!"

My eyes widened at that. He needed to be killed before he finished his incantation.

"THALIA! THE SWORD, NOW!" I yelled and Thalia threw the sword in the air that I caught reflexively. I then threw it towards Zeus who caught it surprised.

"Do it fast! We don't have time!"

Tartarus and Zeus both widened their eyes, and Tartarus seemed to hurry his pace of muttering the incantations.

But the king of the Gods had amazing speed. He rushed towards the Primordial with the sword in his right hand and immediately cut through Tartarus' head. For a moment nothing happened, Tartarus' head lay on the floor with eyes wide and lips moving as if still muttering the verses. Soon it all stopped, and the pit started shaking.

"We need to get out before we sink into the pit. EVERYBODY GET OUT FAST!" I yelled and in a matter of seconds, every single soul was out and safe. In a dramatic kind of a way the pit just collapsed on its own as if it had been bombed. Zeus held the sword in his hand and everyone was so busy seeing the entrance of the pit that they did not see the sword glowing. Within a few seconds, it was glowing bright enough for everyone to stare at it.

Then one by one, without warning all the Gods starting with the big three collapsed on the floor, unconscious.

Everyone was obviously confused, but before I could explain, Iapetus spoke, "The mystery of the sword finally reveals itself, and look, Percy, you didn't even have to break your oath!"

I just nodded and looked at the mortal Gods. I went beside Annabeth and held her hand in mine. To clear the confusion of everyone I said, "Look, I can't say anything. I'm still bound and we destroyed the monsters, not rivers. The Styx will still consume my soul if I break it. Just wait for the Gods to wake up and you'll see." The others just nodded.

It was over. It was all over finally. No more Tartarus, no more monsters, no more wars.

 **(A/N: POINT OUT ERRORS AND MISSING THINGS, IF ANY. BUT THE STORY IS OFFICIALLY OVER, AN EPILOGUE WILL FOLLOW. DO REVIEW, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME)**


	24. Chapter 23

**Epilogue 1: Finally Revealed**

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 _(Recap: "We need to get out before we sink within the pit. EVERYBODY GET OUT FAST!" I yelled and in a matter of seconds, every single soul was out and safe. In a dramatic kind of a way the pit just collapsed on its own as if it had been bombed. Zeus held the sword in his hand and everyone was so busy seeing the entrance of the pit that they did not see the sword glowing. Within a few seconds, it was glowing bright enough for everyone to stare at it._

 _Then one by one, without warning all the Gods starting with the big three collapsed on the floor, unconscious._

 _Everyone was obviously confused, but before I could explain Iapetus spoke, "The mystery of the sword finally reveals itself, and look, Percy, you didn't even have to break your oath!"_

 _I just nodded and looked at the mortal Gods. I went beside Annabeth and held her hand in mine. To clear the confusion of everyone I said, "Look, I can't say anything. I'm still bound and we destroyed the monsters, not rivers. The Styx will still consume my soul if I break it. Just wait for the Gods to wake up and you'll see."_

 _The others just nodded. It was over. It was all over finally. No more Tartarus, no more monsters anymore...)_

* * *

 **PERCY'S POV:**

We saw Nico intake a large breath and exhale relaxedly. That's when we knew. It was finally all over. The son of Hades had a ghost of a smile while Hazel was beaming widely. That confirmed it all, but still, the crowd barring the still unconscious demigods looked at me for confirmation. Instead of me, Iapetus spoke up, "He's gone. Zeus did not miss and a blow from that sword had to be more than enough."

I had my hands grasped in Annabeth's hand tightly, and I looked at her with all the love I had for her. And we kissed. Kissed like we never had, like there would be no tomorrow like we didn't have to breathe every once in a while. As if a silent indication, all the couples kissed. I was just smiling in the kiss and so was Annabeth, but that smile quickly vanished when my eyes fell on Leo who looked so lost and broken. The adrenaline of the war had vanished from his brain and Calypso was obviously still running in his mind. His eyes looked moist, I could tell he wanted to be left alone but wasn't sure how to say that to us.

I ended the kiss and still holding Annabeth's hand, I got inside one of the camp trucks and removed the key that was still in the ignition. Annabeth looked at me with confusion but I just smiled reassuringly. We then went to Leo, I grabbed his hand and handed over the key to him.

He looked at me a bit confused and I said, "Just go. I know you wanna go to bunker 9. We understand. We'll all pile up in the other vans and manage to fit."

He looked at me gratefully with eyes becoming moister every second. I looked at Annabeth and sent her a silent message, then we both hugged him tightly, and he cried. Finally cried. Finally let loose his emotions that he had bottled up inside him since he had lost Calypso. Eventually, the others must've noticed our hug because soon Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper all turned the hug into a group hug.

Once the hug ended Leo looked at all of us gratefully. Jason put a hand on his best friends shoulder and said, "Listen to me, man...We know you need time alone. But remember that no matter what we're always there for you alright?" Leo just nodded and proceeded towards the van, eventually revving the engine and driving towards camp. We had lost a lot during the war. Friends, family, brothers, sisters. Family...thank Poseidon my mother was safe...to think she was captured by Tartarus himself...I mentally shivered at that thought. I couldn't wait to see her now.

Suddenly I could hear Will shouting my name. "Hey Perce." He came up to me and said, "Listen, dude, your mom's awake. Lady Hestia is unconscious and your mom had assumed the worst. Thalia just IMed camp and consoled her, but she says she still won't calm down till she has you in her arms." Will said smirking a bit, forcing me to blush slightly.

"We need to leave this place soon." As soon as the words left my mouth the Gods started stirring awake.

"Look, the Gods are waking up!" Someone shouted as all of us saw the Gods sitting up rubbing their heads as if they'd suffered a massive head blow. Quite dramatically and comically every God was sitting upright and rubbing their heads as if trying to remember something. Then one by one the memories must've hit them and they all stood up like a spring and started looking around for any sign of an enemy. Jason who was closest to them explained patiently that we had won and they had passed out, and all of them were looking expectantly at me for an explanation.

"What? I still can't tell you since it has obviously got to do something with the sword. But tell me, do you feel any different? Or more like the same as you've felt since millennia?"

The crowd wasn't dumb; they got my indication and immediately began speculating. True to my belief the Gods started glowing a bright white for a while and we were forced to look away. Once the light died down I formally announced, just for fun: "Congratulations dear mortals, I believe you just got your Godhood and immortality back..."

Quite dramatically the Gods began looking at their bodies and feeling their powers again. Thunder and tornado boomed into the sky as Zeus and Poseidon beamed. Eventually, all the Gods tested out their powers. Apollo's method of testing earned him a glare from Zeus. Well, making the sun dance in the sky and smiling broadly at that isn't known to be an ideal way for testing powers, is it?

Now the confusion returned once again. How? That question seemed to be on everyone's minds as they stared at me. I just released Annabeth's hand and went towards where the sword that killed Tartarus had fallen. I picked it up and handed it over to Hades who for some reason was glaring daggers at me. Oh, I totally forgot I'd promised Hades he wouldn't lose his immortality but he had lost it anyway. Instead of arguing, I just motioned for him to hold the sword and examine it. As he did, his eyes widened every passing second.

"Marvelous...brother look what this is." He said and handed it over to Zeus and Poseidon.

"Do not call me brother Hades, or have you forgotten we are no longer brothers?" Dad said a bit testily. Hades just ignored the comment and before either of them could say anything, Zeus was done examining the sword and had passed it over to my father. All the big three had their eyes widened.

"What? What is it? Stop playing passing-the-parcel with the sword and tell us, for Olympus' sake!" Athena exasperated.

Zeus coughed and said, "This sword is made of 3 elements. Percy had informed us of two of these. Stygian iron and Chaotic Platinum. The third one is...is Olympian Gold."

The people waited patiently for some sort of a big reveal. Olympic Gold sure was rare, but not so rare that would widen the eyes of the big three. The Romans basically grew up wielding them after all. That big reveal was not by the Gods, however. It was by my wise girl.

"So that is the legend! Of course! Why didn't I realize earlier!"

And again there was confusion leaving everyone greatly irritated. I swear Clarisse looked like she could tear apart someone's head with her bare hands out of mere frustration.

I decided that further knowledge would not break the oath as I wouldn't be talking about the sword but just about the history. So I coughed and began, "There was this legend eons ago that said that a combination of certain metals could make a mortal an immortal. Not just that, but it would give indefinite power to the race of the immortal if he was a crowned king. That is why I insisted Thalia let Zeus use it. As a king, once he used it the powers would return to every Olympian."

"And you knew of this legend all along?" Hades asked and I just nodded. The Gods looked more than satisfied now that they were no longer mortals. Aphrodite let out a squeal while Hermes was examining some rare diamonds - probably stolen from Hades' pockets. Meanwhile, Hades was busy talking to some zombie dudes that had appeared out of the ground. Great, more cracks and craters. Just what we needed...

Once the Gods were done testing out their powers and feeling perfect, they announced that a funeral would be held at camp half-blood in two days' time to let everyone regroup and organize a funeral for so many people. This had been the biggest war ever after all with the death toll expected to be at least 170-200 demigods.

"Wow, this legend was so useful today. All though I can't believe you actually read something and that it actually helped Perce..." Jason said.

Reading... I shuddered mentally at the thought.

"Wow, you honestly think I must've like, read it or something?" I asked incredulously and continued, "Tartarus was stupid enough to write what the legend of the sword was just beside where he had hidden it. Iapetus found out both the things at once and let me know."

"Thank God you are still the kelp head we know. I was seriously starting to wonder how you got so smart all of a sudden!"

"Thalia! I AM smart!" I said, but it came out more like a whine and had a few of my friends smiling amusedly at me. Just then Zeus cleared his throat to gain attention and began,

"Okay children. Another war is over, and now because of Percy, we have no more monsters to worry about. This situation is very alien to us, we all need time. We also have to rush to handle our Godly responsibilities but we shall let Chiron know when we will have a party and gift ceremony. I believe our heroes need a lot of gifts for such a great win." And with that, the King of the Gods disappeared in a flash. Dad gave me a small encouraging smile and said, "Prepare for the funerals, children. We shall meet soon." With those words, he too flashed out.

Hades nodded towards me, so did a few others. Then with a smile towards their children one by one, they all disappeared and we were stranded in the middle of lava craters that would nee Godly fixing with just one truck for over 180 people, about 80 of whom were the nymphs, satyrs, and cyclopes. There was no way the cyclopes would all fit. After a tight hug from Tyson, I told them the problem. "No problem brother! My brothers are strong! We are not tired! We can walk to the forges!"

"Are you sure brother?" I asked but by the time he had already rallied his brothers to walk.

When I looked back I saw Grover standing there with a small smile. My smile widened seeing my G-man. We'd come so far, the both of us and yet after such a huge war the sheer happiness we felt seeing each other could rival no other happiness; for once I dare say - not even Annabeth. We lightly hugged and exchanged a few words, mostly asking each other how we were physically as well as mentally. Then he informed me that the nymphs and the wild would not travel in trucks. Apparently, they never did, I just didn't notice that. Grover wanted to be with them as Lord of the Wild to help them as much as he could. He also had to plant the seeds of all his dead satyr brothers. With an embrace, I said "See you soon, G-man. The funerals are two days from now. Be on time." He nodded and took off.

That left about 100 demigods with a truck that could fit in about 25 people maximum. I sighed.

Just then Annabeth came to me and said, "Percy, I know you're worried how they'll fit in. But I already talked to Reyna to IM the camp survivors so they could send some eagles here. The Romans will fly to camp Half-blood and once Reyna has set up some things she will send those eagles back to gather the remaining Romans and bring them to camp. Chiron invited all of them formally to live with us at camp since their camp was blown. And Reyna was more than grateful, not that she had a choice."

"That settles so much wise girl. Thank you." I kissed her.

NARRATOR'S POV:

That day the demigods all returned to the camp and felt relief. Percy and Annabeth had a lengthy chat with Sally Jackson, who was going great on her road to recovery. Percy that night offered burnt offerings to his father as well as Lady Hestia to thank her for taking care of his mother. The basic atmosphere was of mild celebration and a lot of mourning due to the huge losses. The Hermes cabin rarely spoke to anyone now, having lost one of their sharpest pranksters. The camp lost two of the most cheerful souls that day when Travis dies because, after the death of his brother, Conner Stoll was never the same.

The next day was lost in all the preparations leading to the funerals. Chiron insisted that Sally should stay since her kind nature was very soothing to everyone, especially the younger demigods. Sally thought this was a great idea and of course, Percy couldn't be happier - having the two ladies he loved most by his side. The Romans arrived by evening and were welcomed at camp. Some of them like ex-centurion Gwen who knew a lot of the dead soldiers were hit really hard by the tragedy.

* * *

( **A/N: THERE WILL BE NO DETAILS ON THE PARTY. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL MOVE A YEAR AHEAD AND ONE BY ONE WE WILL SEE HOW EVERYONE MOVED ON FROM THAT DAY. THAT'S WHERE YOU WILL COME TO KNOW ABOUT THE GIFTS THAT THE DEMIGODS RECEIVED. THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER WAS THE FINAL PART OF THE STORY, THE NEXT ONE MAY BE THE FINAL PART OF THIS BOOK.)**


	25. Chapter 24

**Epilogue: One Year Later, Part 1**

* * *

 **NARRATOR'S POV:**

Today, the 20th of July marks exactly one year since the war with Tartarus. This historical date is remembered by the demigods, the Gods, the wild and everyone alike both for the dark times and the untimely heavy death toll that they witnessed as well as the beginning of a new era. An era that is not plagued by monsters anymore, an era where demigods can age and die peacefully, grow and get old along with their loved ones. A new beginning that has no monsters. For the war survivors, it is almost like an alien planet. Most of them have had trouble getting accustomed to this new environment. They are still wary and have their weapons ready just in case, but deep within even they know that it's over. It's all finally over. The millennia-long history of bloodshed, gore, and violence between Gods and their families, between monsters and demigods has finally come to an end. Such has been the calm and peace that even the minor Gods and Goddesses have started coming out to explore the world that is now rid of monsters. Be it a child of the Big Three or be it the child of a minor God such as Hypnos, the newly remodeled version of Earth is safe for everyone.

The demigods who were either pivotal in the victory but didn't lead from the front or had been around since the Titan war and had helped from the shadows were all duly recognized and offered the same gift. A special small apartment was built for them on the outskirts of Camp Half-Blood where there was a scenic view of both the sea and the ocean. The house was designed by none other than Annabeth Chase - the official architect of Olympus, so obviously each one was indeed a masterpiece. This list of Demigods included Katie Gardener, Connor Stoll, Nyssa, Jake Mason, Will Solace, Clarisse La Rue, Chris Rodriguez, Tyson, and Gwen. Gwen wasn't in the war but had been a centurion for a very long time and had been by Reyna's side through every difficulty the Romans had witnessed. So she was rightfully the only Roman named in the group. The rest of them got to party with the Olympians which is almost a gift in itself, while the heroes - the main leaders who lead and dealt maximum damage from the front were all offered a gift of their own choosing that would be in power of the Council. Let's take a journey through the lives of our heroes to see what they asked for as well as to see what they're up to of late and how they are coping with the new way of living.

Connor Stoll: He had planned so many amazing things with his twin. Once he lost Travis there was literally nothing Connor seemed to be able to love. For a while, it seemed as if he had stopped living his life. Like he was just breathing for the sake of it. Eventually, his friends brought him out of it. He's still as sad as he was, but like they say: "The pain never goes away. You just learn to live with it." He now works with the Police department in helping track down thieves by deducing their actions and mannerisms - apparently, it's a son of Hermes thing. He occasionally visits his place by the camp, but otherwise, he's either busy with his job or just prefers to stay away from all the memories.

Sally: She stayed at camp for almost a month, but Paul was missing her so she left the place. She offered Percy and Annabeth to live with them together, but they refused, saying that they wanted to be at camp for some more time after which they had college plans. Sally is now married to Paul and is almost a month pregnant too, and Percy is super excited to meet his baby brother/sister. She helped a lot at camp and for that, she was invited to the Olympian party where she saw and met the Olympians that Percy got along with. She was showered with praise from some of the Olympians and minor Gods for having a son like Percy. She had also hit a chord with Hestia that day and she now often prays to her and offers burnt offerings when she makes something special. Hestia returns the favor by looking after Sally like an older sister.

Reyna: The Praetor of Rome was offered whatever she wished for by the Council. She, however, asked for just one thing. Her family in front of her and safe. Zeus repeated it as a modified statement mentioning that her 'living family will be produced in front of her'. At first, she was just too overjoyed because Bellona suddenly appeared in front of her. But then she realized Zeus' words, realized Hylla was missing. That was the day she learned of Hylla's death. Nobody speaks of that time now. Because that day both created and changed history. Created because that day marked the first time ever that the world saw Reyna Ramirez Arellano - the seasoned warrior and premier praetor shed tears. To see her like that was so heartbreaking for everyone.

It changed history too, that day. Because that day the Roman Praetor Reyna Avil Ramirez-Arellano finally decided to hang her boots as the praetor of Rome and pass on the mantle to Hazel - who was visibly honored to take up the role. Reyna said she felt she had done enough and now that there were peaceful times she wanted time off for herself. Eventually, a date was set for her last working day. There were a lot of emotions and tears that day as every demigod both Greek and Roman bowed down to the Praetor of Rome for one last time. Even today Hazel and Frank are often seen leaving her 10-month old house in New York City after some discussions and advise. Frank had made it very clear to Reyna during his short speech on her last day in the office: "No matter how far we may go, Rome owes everything to you. What you did was phenomenal and you are irreplaceable. Quit the job, but you'll always be our praetor and we'll always look up to you as a role model leader. For one last time, AVE PRAETOR RAMIREZ ARELLANO!" And the subsequent "AVE" that followed could've shaken the ground. She now also meets her mother very frequently, almost once every week to catch up on lives over the years.

She now works as a head gym trainer for a living and is also meanwhile pursuing a degree in Social Justice. She's still striving to make the world a better place, but the method is a lot more verbal and a lot less violent now. She hasn't found a boyfriend yet but hopes to do so in her coming years at college.

Grover: He was offered a gift of his own choosing just like the heroes were. Fortunately this time he didn't faint on the spot. Instead, he asked the Gods to make an oath to help him nurture nature and not harm nature knowingly ever. With the kind of attitude the Gods have - not caring a dime before unleashing powers and stuff, it was a difficult request. But they promised they'd try, and they made the oath.

Grover is now much more relaxed after one very hectic year running through continents to spread nature awareness. Every few months he takes a break to spend time with his girlfriend Juniper and his friends, especially Percy and Annabeth. The trio still get together whenever they have the chance to catch up. He proposed to Juniper and now they're engaged. The wedding date has not been announced as of yet, but he says it should be soon.

Nico: Nico di Angelo was the busiest demigod after the war ended. He had taken upon himself to see to the final burial rites of the deceased. On the celebration day, he was offered immortality by Zeus. He was offered the role of being his dad's lieutenant in the underworld forever. Nico thought for a while. He has always been a loner and had no one to look out for him after Bianca. Percy was there, but his own life had been difficult. But on the other hand, people had now started accepting him. People came to him and talked to him and never let him feel like an outsider. Then there was the faith Jason seemed to show in him.

Then there was Will. The decision now came to him in a second. "No. It's tempting, very tempting. But no. I'd rather live and age and die with my friends." Zeus didn't even bother arguing or feeling bad; he knew the decision would be negative. Nico then made a smart move. "I don't want a gift now, but Olympus and this Council owe me now. I'll keep the gift pending and whenever I need it, I should get it. Do I have your word?" Zeus reluctantly nodded, but Nico pushed them to swear by the Styx which they did.

So now the Olympians owe Nico di Angelo a favor sworn under the Styx. A few days after the war Nico di Angelo was spotted hand in hand with Will Solace walking peacefully by the river. That brought a smile on the faces of each of his friends, especially Jason and Hazel who were both proud of their 'Neeks'.

Hazel: When Reyna picked her name for praetor after resigning, she almost had a nervous breakdown. Annabeth and Piper helped her overcome that phase and go on to give an amazing introductory speech in front of both, the Greeks and Romans on her first day. Hazel came up with a brilliant idea of joint running of camps. The rule was passed and under this rule, Chiron, Hazel, and Frank were joint leaders of the now united camp. Chiron took up the teacher's role with Frank while Hazel has taken up the public and infrastructure development to make sure the Romans, as well as Greeks, have places to stay guarded well within the camp borders like New Rome was. It's a time consuming and taxing job to recreate a settlement, but it's much easier when you have the official architect of Olympus assisting you and uncursed valuable gems sprouting up at your will.

Nobody saw this coming, but only a month after the war, Frank became the first among the famed prophecy demigod - couples to propose. Hazel is hence engaged and the wedding dates are set for a little over two months from now. As for her gift from the Gods, even she was offered anything she desired for her brave and valiant efforts in both the wars. She didn't want anything for herself. She asked for a bag, specially designed by Hephaestus and containing some protective enchantments from all the Gods. The bag - golden in color, was given to her the next day since even for Gods it took that much time to make and enchant.

The bag is protective against anything kept inside. Food kept inside doesn't spoil, weapons don't erode, the objects neither drown nor catch fire. The bag remains unscathed in any calamity be it natural or manmade ( or as demigods have invented after so many wars - demigod made calamities ). Magic has no effect on it and the bag can neither be teleported nor stolen and opened by a stranger or someone the owner doesn't trust. Can you guess what valuable item Hazel keeps in there?

Frank: Frank enjoys training the demigods with Chiron. They have combined together and effectively introduced a lot of different combinations that use Greek+Roman technique that can confuse the opponent. He is going as strong as ever with Hazel who is no longer his girlfriend but his fiancee. He still has a long way to go as a praetor to be as good as Reyna, but with no wars on the horizon, for now, he's determined to make the best of this opportunity to develop the camp as well as focus on his life. He doesn't know how life will be after he's married, but he's more excited than scared. Argentum and Aurum, the camp dogs had become practically Reyna's dogs, so much so that when he told the others that the dogs weren't Reyna's but actually belonged to New Rome as added security, they were surprised. Seeing that surprise and remembering how close Reyna had grown to them, he decided to gift them to her at her housewarming party. To say that she was elated would be an understatement.

During the celebration ceremony on Olympus, Frank was called for the gifts after Hazel was, and he just knew what Hazel was planning to use her bag for. He was touched and decided that he would ask something for her. Firstly he asked for Hazel's gem curse to be lifted. When Hades nodded almost immediately, he then looked at Zeus and asked for Hazel to be given the pass for being back from the dead. Hades, who had been avoiding this topic widened his eyes when he realized what Frank had just said. He'd hoped Zeus had forgotten about this and wanted this topic to never come up. Frank went and spoke some words in Zeus' words and after standing in front of him said that's what he wanted.

People could only guess what it was when Zeus stunned all when he merely nodded and announced, "Hazel Levesque, you have earnt your chance at redemption and deserve to live. So you will live. Also, your soul will begin its new journey from the time you escaped through the doors of death, meaning your soul is not to be judged for your past actions when you go to the underworld." Both Hazel and Hades were staring blankly at Zeus before Hades broke into a grin that the demigods already had plastered on their faces and Hazel jumped on Frank with joy and kissed him. Frank then also asked for a quiver that never ran out of arrows for himself. It wasn't much so the Council granted it with ease.

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 **(A/N: THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL SEE THALIA, JASON, PIPER, ANNABETH, PERCY AND CHIRON COVERED. IF YOU WANT ANYONE ELSE, LET ME KNOW. I HAD TO DIVIDE IT INTO TWO PARTS SINCE IT WAS GETTING REALLY LONG. HOPE YOU ENJOY.)**


	26. Chapter 25

**Epilogue: One Year Later: Part**

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 **Jason and Piper:** Jason Grace was happy. He had Thalia back, he had Piper by his side and most importantly, he was no longer torn between two camps. He was the second of the group to propose, and now he and Piper are going to be the first ones to get married, in less than a month. Jason had popped the question in an expensive restaurant in New York and nobody knows the details of that night except for the couple. He now wants to have a relaxed life with Piper and just take it easy. He usually lives at camp but after realizing he will need mortal money if he wanted to support his family, he decided to work part-time with the wind Gods. He doesn't earn mortal money but drachmas. Then sells them off for mortal money. The conversion factor is so high that one drachma gets him at least 1,000 dollars, and he earns 6 drachmas a day. Rich man, I tell you. His job is basically altering the wind direction and speed in the different parts of the country assigned to him by the wind God Aeolus. He has to travel a lot, but when you can fly, travelling is so much easier. For his 'valiant and extraordinary efforts in the battles', as Zeus put it, he was offered any gift he desired. People were initially shocked that he wasn't offered immortality, but later Jason clarified that he and Piper knew there was a chance they would be offered this gift and had made their decision of staying mortal very clear to Zeus early on. So now was the chance for Jason and Piper both to ask anything they could.

"We're mortals, and I will have a family to support soon enough. I want to give them the very best of everything. Pipes deserves it all, and I believe we have earnt a well-deserved break too. We want Olympus to swear an oath that no matter what, any member of the Grace family or anyone related to us by blood will never face a financial crisis."

Zeus was a bit stumped at this request. "Son, I understand you're looking out for them, but we cannot control what happens to them, only the fates can!"

Piper spoke in between, "The fates decide how successful they will be. We are just saying you need to take care they don't die of hunger. I don't think you will face objection from the fates if you maybe credit their bank account or something along those lines."

Jason further explained, "We know the rest of the hardships they face are all controlled by the fates. And even if they weren't, we just want them to have the basic amenities. They should work hard for everything else on their own. Nobody can know that better than a Roman, you know this dad. It's a reasonable request. Much easier than granting us immortality. Besides, it's a gift to both of us, you don't have to give us different things!"

For a while, Zeus looked thoughtful, but then he didn't even bother asking for a vote. He just spoke an oath stating he and the Council would honor their request just as described by Jason. Both the demigods as well as the others were smiling at that, and this concluded Jason and Piper's gifts.

 **Thalia** : Thalia was in a weird mood during the gift ceremony. Her name was called just after Jason and Piper were done, and she was mildly surprised at that because this time she didn't feel like she had done something great.

"Thalia, my daughter. It all started with you, even if you didn't know that. It was our plan that made you endure so much pain and torcher in that pit - a place where admittedly even some of us fear to venture."

Thalia raised an eyebrow at the 'some' part but let Zeus continue anyways.

"You had the chance to escape that by ratting us out, by rating your sisters out. But you didn't do that. Then once you were out, ignoring the trauma you must have been in, you came and fought for us valiantly like a great hero. Percy admitted that his plan suited only you because he thought you were one of the few people who could survive that and still be the same. For your valor, dedication to us and invaluable contribution in three long, hard wars, you too will get one gift from us. Ask, and it shall be yours. And yes, you are already half immortal, but you can ask for full immortality as well."

The room was silent except for the sound of multiple beings breathing as Thalia strongly considered the pros and cons.

"Father, can I talk to you alone for a moment, please?"

"Uh...sure." And with that Zeus teleported them into the air. Guessing Thalia was her daughter and would have no trouble floating in the air like Jason, he teleported her literally high in the air. And obviously, Thalia freaked out. She started screaming and falling to her death. At first, Zeus could actually not believe one of his children weren't able to fly, but he quickly teleported them on the ground and cushioned Thalia's fall with the air.

"Thalia, are you alright?" The father asked as the daughter blushed.

"Uh...what was that? Why didn't you control the air around you and float?"

"Uh...I...I'm kinda...kinda scared of heights..?" The end sounded more like a question but Zeus understood. At first, Zeus stared wide-eyed. He couldn't believe it. A daughter of the sky scared of heights?

"Since how long?" He softly asked.

"Uh...since I was born..?"

And much to Thalia's dismay, Zeus started chuckling. The proud daughter of the sky looked at her father with eyes wide in anger and started to turn back and walk away. Just then Zeus called out to her, "Wait! Don't you want me to fix that for you?"

Thalia was now shocked.

"You...you can do that?"

"Not me, but the phobia is a mental thing. Had you approached Dionysis earlier, he'd have fixed this for you. Never mind. Tell me why you brought me here. As soon as we get back and finish the gifts, I'll ask Dionysis to stay back and cure your phobia."

"Wait...just like that? Oh, my Gods, I was actually contemplating asking that as my gift!"

"What! Something so petty!No! No way. You deserve something much better. Something like immortality."

And now Thalia replied without hesitation, "I'll take it. I'll accept the gift of immortality from you and the Council with honor, but only if you give me your word I still get to be with my sisters."

"Artemis will kill me otherwise, so yes, Besides, you took her oath so you're kinda bound to her," Zeus said, but his face was delightful. Soon they returned, and it was announced that Thalia Grace had agreed to become immortal. Thalia wanted to help more and more girls with their hardships and hence she had taken this decision. There was obviously no resentment among the demigods, they were just glad one of them would be around forever to 'keep the Gods in check' as Percy put it.

She is now the only fully immortal being in the hunt apart from Lady Artemis. She along with her sister Artemis - who she is closer than ever, roam the world, explore different cities, cultures and save girls and try to give them a good future. They are now even planning to expand their operations to open an NGO so that even mortal girls can have support and assistance.

Thalia meets Percy and Annabeth whenever she is at camp to just hang out and have some cheeseburgers and fries. She says she can live without nectar and ambrosia but the fries with her friends is the best thing. She also keeps in touch with Jason very frequently, via IMs and telephone calls.

 **Percy and Annabeth:** Percy still remembers the day it all started as if it were yesterday. He and Annabeth had almost left for New Rome to join college when that announcement from Zeus changed the course of history and drastically changed their lives. After seeing Frank propose, he wanted to do it himself but was feeling very nervous. Before he could think too much, Jason had come to him and asked for help. He was proposing to Piper the next day and was very nervous. Percy helped him and in the process was able to get over his nervousness too. So as soon as Jason had proposed, he'd started planning. It had taken him a long time, but only three weeks ago he had been the last of the guys from the prophecy - couples to pop up the question.

He had planned a wonderful dinner underwater with an assortment of the most beautiful sea creatures handpicked by him from across the world swimming near them. There was romantic music playing in the background. He had made a giant bubble for them to spend time in and himself prepared dinner. He'd just told Annabeth it was a date, but then suddenly Percy produced a collage out of thin air.

A collage consisting of some beautiful pictures of him and Annabeth taken during candid times by his friends at camp. There was the underwater kiss as well as a lot of their adventures. The title of the collage was a simple, uncreative 'The seaweed - Wise girl moments', but the wise girl in question didn't seem to care. While Annabeth was already teary-eyed while examining the pictures, Percy sat on one knee. When Annabeth looked up, a beautiful ring and a kneeled down Percy were staring at her. She had known this would soon happen, but the way Percy had done it blew her mind.

"Annabeth, since the time you came into my life we have been a perfect combination. We can fight together, dance together, laugh and cry together. You and I are basically one, wise girl. I breathe you, I feel you, I care for you, I adore you, I feel mesmerized by you. I love you. People want the best girlfriends, how can they when you're already mine? They also want the best wives - For once I wanna be selfish and take that away from them as well. Annabeth Chase, I cannot envision a future without you, a life where you exist as anything but my wife, a life where you're not mine to love and to hold you until the day I die. So will you do the honour of marrying me?"

For a moment Annabeth was numb. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she stared wordlessly at Percy. Then eventually she regained composure and nodded, Percy whooped loudly, stood up and they had another memorable underwater kiss. This one felt like one for the ages. Annabeth took her time examining the ring later that night, and since the proposal whenever you see Percy and Annabeth together, a lovestruck smile always graces their features.

"PERCY JACKSON." Zeus' voice had boomed the last when calling out people for gifts after the war. Annabeth had not yet been called, but instead of calling out her name and addressing her separately, Zeus motioned for her to come forward along with Percy itself. The whole celebration muted down and every whisper and murmur ceased. "Perseus Jackson, for your outstanding contribution in all the wars, Olympus owes you everything. Today, we offer you a gift we have never offered anyone. Last time we asked you whether you wanted to be immortal or not and you denied for the sake of love. Today we offer you an upgraded version of that. We offer you a place in the Olympian Council with a throne right by your father's side." Those words made Percy actually open his mouth in shock. Being an Olympian was not a tiny matter. It was huge, to say the least. But to the utter shock of the audience, Zeus was still not done. He went on, "Last time you denied our gracious offer for love. This time, for her countless inputs, support and leadership skills, we offer the same choice to Annabeth Chase too. If you both are willing, we can grant you both immortality as well as a place in the Olympian Council for your courage, loyalty and flawless tactics." Zeus had a small smile while Poseidon and Athena were grinning, almost certain that their children would never miss this offer.

Percy asked for time and privacy to discuss this with Annabeth and he and Annabeth were transported to camp and given a duration of 5 minutes to discuss. They talked some and Percy came up with an idea that made Annabeth even more proud of her seaweed brain. Once they were teleported back, Percy said, "Lord Zeus. We are so much honored at what you are offering us. But we will have to refuse, I'm sorry."

Zeus, Poseidon, and Athena stood up from their throne with shock and a collective "WHAT!", while Dionysis coughed on whatever he was drinking. For a moment Apollo stopped looking at how hot he looked in the mirror and every God, even the ones who hated Percy and Annabeth were looking at them wide-eyed. The demigods too were shocked, seeing no reason as to why they'd refuse. Percy had an explanation, "Lord Zeus, with all due respect, the offer is something words cannot describe. But the thing is, Annabeth and I, we were never actually fascinated by the idea of living forever. We always wanted to live, grow old and die one day. We wanna experience life like we're meant to. And besides, neither of us can live knowing that one day our best friends - all of them, will die while we just live on. Each of them had such a huge role to play and to us, it seems so unfair that they will die while we sit on a throne enjoying a 'forever'. I'm sorry. Dad, I'm sorry." He finished while Athena also received an apology from her daughter. Zeus couldn't do anything about it, it was their decision and neither their parents nor the King of the Gods could exactly force it on them. So they just sat back again. After a deep breath, Zeus spoke, "Very well. But since you two took so long you must've thought of something else. What is it?"

"We will have separate gifts, Lord Zeus. Annabeth will ask for her gift first if it's all right with you." When Zeus looked expectantly at Annabeth, the daughter of Athena began, "Lord Zeus, now that we don't have any monsters around, I want all the minor Gods to spend more time with their childr-"

"Oh great, not this again! We have been agreeing to such gifts since the Titan war! First, it was Percy and then Jason, haven't they done enough for the minor Gods already?" Zeus intervened with frustration.

"Let me finish, please. I want all the minor Gods to spend more time with their children within the camp and I want the Olympians to do the same thing. Also, the main thing I want is for the Council to swear an oath to never lie to any demigod ever again." That raised a huge uproar from all the Gods, including kinder ones like Hermes and even Poseidon. A skeptical look from Percy was graciously ignored as the sea God vehemently opposed the idea - not with words, but his expressions said it all.

"I believe the reactions explain the answer." Stated Zeus simply.

Annabeth wasn't bogged down though. "Fine, I'll rephrase it. I want the Council to swear an oath to never lie to any demigod present in this room ever again whenever the lie is related to wars and battles against any kind of enemy of Olympus. That is now non-negotiable. We just want you to be honest. We deserve it." After this Zeus had to ask for a vote. "All in favor of granting this gift?"

Surprisingly none of the Gods raised their hands, not even Athena or Poseidon. Just then all the demigods suddenly stood up and one by one started leaving the throne room. While the Gods stared in confusion, Poseidon spoke up, "Wait! Where do you think you are going?"

"Our life, our wish. If you cannot respect us and treat us as your children, you're not gonna get the benefits of being our parents. You're Olympians and you used us for a long while. Now with no monsters anymore we will leave camp and go somewhere far off where you cannot reach us, _Lord_ Poseidon." Percy said and even mock bowed. For a while, the Gods stared with surprise, not impressed by the demigods. But what could they do when not one, not two but ALL their children were opposing?

"WAIT! OKAY OKAY, WE SWEAR WE WILL SWEAR! GET BACK!" Zeus' words brought everyone back to their places. Annabeth was still looking at Zeus skeptically. Zeus just swore the oath and got it done with. The demigods rejoiced almost as if they'd won another war. Once Annabeth's turn was finished, Percy came up and said, "I want immortality."

There was suddenly mayhem and utter confusion among everyone, but Percy soon cleared it up, "I want you to give immortality to someone else as my gift."

"Percy! Do not mock the gift of immortality! It is the highest honor anyone can receive! We can't just give it to anyone." Poseidon said.

"Not anyone, dad. How about someone who was the most instrumental in not just this but every win we ever had? A person who made us who we are. A person without whom we would've all been dead. Surely such a person deserves immortality?"

"Who is this person you are speaking of? Tell us his name and we'll judge for ourselves first." Athena said.

"Chiron."

That literally took away the demigods' breaths. Chiron stared disbelievingly at his student while the Gods looked back and forth between Chiron and Percy to make sense of this.

"Percy, Chiron is already immortal. What are you saying?"

"Lord Zeus, what was the blessing given to Chiron to stay immortal?" Annabeth asked.

"Uh... He was blessed by me to stay immortal for as long as he was needed to teach, why?"

"Lord Zeus, with the monsters now completely wiped off, how true does the 'needed to teach' part hold?"

That made every eye go wide. None of them had realized this, but now with monsters gone, Chiron was just a support staff whose existence wasn't of much importance in the context that he was made immortal. Meaning, he didn't need to teach, it was optional. So the blessing would not hold true any longer.

"He'll forever remain partially immortal, Annabeth, even if he loses my blessing. He has the blood of a Titan and my blessing since a very long time. He won't die unless-"

"-unless in a fight. But why let it come to that?" Annabeth said and looked at Percy to take over.

"Lord Zeus, Council, the time when we were retrieving the golden fleece, for some days Chiron had been accused and kicked out of camp. Only later did the whole Daedalus mystery unravel and Chiron was proven innocent. During that time he'd told me he may no longer be immortal since he was no longer 'required'. Fortunately, he was, and he always will be. But now that monsters are gone, what of the teacher? I don't ever wish to see him torn between life and death. If demigods who fought a few wars for you can be offered a place in the Council, surely Chiron - who taught generations of demigods how to survive and who made us all who we are today deserves full immortality more than anyone?" As Percy finished, Chiron was so touched he went and tightly hugged Percy and Annabeth. His cheeks were stained with some emotional tears as well.

Zeus looked too shocked to form words.

"Chiron, step forward!"

Once Chiron stepped forward, Zeus stood up, turned into human height and stood directly in front of Chiron.

"Chiron, old friend...you have been such an integral part of the whole Olympian setup since so long. We will not leave you out of the honors anymore. You are hereby granted full immortality. Of course, it's a long procedure, so we shall do it as soon as this meeting ends."

A lot of demigods were stunned at Zeus' selection of words, but the King of the Gods appeared to be doing a kind deed after a long while and they dared not distract him lest he changed his mind.

Once Chiron went back to his position after bowing, the gift ceremony was concluded and true to his word, Chiron entered camp half-blood the next day as a full immortal. He had tried to thank Percy and Annabeth but was told off and threatened by Annabeth to never bring it up again. Percy said they'd do it a million times over and still not match what he'd done for them. So instead he just hugged them and said how proud he felt.

Chiron: Chiron was already dabbing a few tears in his eyes during the throne room gift ceremony after Percy's words. With Percy Jackson's gift done, everyone thought it was over. Just then, Poseidon coughed then looked at Zeus with a slight nod and spoke, "Okay everyone. That concludes the demigods and the wild. But there is one person we would like to address more."

And Zeus' voice thundered, "CHIRON."

To say that Chiron was shocked would've been an understatement. He thought he played no significant role in any of the wars. It was all the demigods that led from the front all the time. And even then he felt like already he had gotten too much after earning full immortality as per Percy's wish. Even then, since he was called by Zeus he went and stood at the center as every being in the room, even the likes of Dionysus and Ares broke into a huge round of applause and warm smiles. Yes, Ares had a warm smile. Chiron essentially teaches how to fight in wars, remember? As to Dionysis, one word - pinochle!

"My Lord." He bowed down to Zeus, who spoke, "Chiron. Tell us. What is it you want? You can have anything you desire. Since you are already immortal, you can ask for something else. Anything within our power and it shall be yours."

"I am already content with what I have Lord Zeus, what else can I need? I have everything. Besides, I already got much more than I expected, and I'm honored." The centaur smiled.

Zeus said, "Very well. You are actually correct, you have everything. But don't say 'much more'. You have been the backbone of every fight for centuries. You neglected your parentage and trained our children to survive. Every great hero, be it Hercules, Achilles, or the heroes who got gifts today. You made them who they are. Percy's words just reminded us of how unfair we had been to you so far, and you don't deserve that by any means. For your outstanding, unmatchable contribution to every war that we fought and won, for nurturing demigods and caring for them like a father, WE, THE COUNCIL GRANT YOU A GIFT. YOU ARE HEREBY WELCOME TO MT. OLYMPUS WHENEVER YOU LIKE. YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO ENTER EVERY DOMAIN OF EVERY GOD. YOU SHALL BE TREATED WITH RESPECT ANYWHERE YOU GO, AND IF ANY GOD - MINOR OR OTHERWISE MISTREATS YOU, HE SHALL FACE MY WRATH! ALSO, ONE LAST THING. THE OFFICIAL ARCHITECT OF OLYMPUS, MISS ANNABETH CHASE, SHALL BE DESIGNING A PALACE FOR YOU ON MOUNT OLYMPUS, THAT WILL BE MADE BY MY SON HAPHAESTUS HIMSELF."

The long announcement in the thunderous voice finally ended and some held their ears as if in pain. Chiron though was now smiling through the shock. Everyone was, in fact, grinning broadly. The now camp director (Frank and Hazel preferred identifying themselves as the support staff, respecting the age-old experience that the centaur possesses.) was approached by Annabeth a few days later asking for specifications to his palace. The palace was ready in only over a month, and now Chiron has a weekly off where he lets Frank overtake his duties so he can go rest and enjoy some time in his new palace which is just beside the now forgiven Dionysis' palace. He also invites the demigods sometimes. Chiron now lives a much-relaxed life with a lot less worry about his students dying a tragic death. He's content, he's humble and he's still a father figure to the demigods. Oh, and he's awesome!

 **General Facts:**

\- Tartarus had initially sworn an oath to not harm mortals so he could harm neither Gods nor Demigods. But somehow he did, and when Zeus questioned Styx later about this, she said "Lord Zeus, you had just destroyed my home and I was shaken. I didn't have the energy to punish a soul as powerful as Tartarus. The oaths made under my name are still valid though, and now I'm feeling more powerful than ever."

\- The cracks and gaps of the ground were fixed almost instantly with all the Gods working their powers in unison. The pit is no longer evil and is free of monsters, however, with the blast destroying many parts of the pit, the rivers now run wild and are more dangerous than ever.

\- The age-old tradition of sending demigods on quests has been stopped now. Instead, every new demigod is made to go out of camp for a few days and work in the mortal world and make ends meet with whatever job they get based on their skillset. The Gods still don't seem to keep it in their pants, so every now and then a new child of the Gods springs up. And yes it has only been one year and there already are too many of them. Boy, aren't the Gods fast...

-With his wife Amphitrite and immortal son Triton dead, Poseidon has no new children. Instead, the sea God publicly calls Percy his favorite demigod and says he can never have a son 'half as perfect as Percy.' So why 'bother with the petty process of reproduction?', he had said, as the camp watched Percy blush a bit at the praise.

-The mortals who were asleep woke up soon and went on about their lives, the mist turning everything into a tornado. 'The Mt. Olympus blast' as they call it now has been coined a terrorist attack and the Intelligence Agencies are trying to find evidence as to which terrorist group is involved. Whenever Hermes feels bored, he watches the speculation through a screen and entertains himself.

-Thalia's phobia is now cured, and one of the main attractions at camp is now the flying race that Jason and Thalia have, with both of them ending it with a tie every time.

-The sword that Zeus used to kill Tartarus has been handed over to Lady Styx away from the power hungry Olympians. Percy remembered his oath to Tartarus about the sword stated that he would not tell the Gods until one of them was dead. Now with Tartarus gone, he narrated the whole legend to the Gods.

-Initially, we had seen that before making the oath, Percy had sworn that he would kill himself and Annabeth who were arguably the most powerful demigods before handing it over to the Gods. Explaining this move, Percy had revealed that the sword, if used on demigods would not kill them. It would make them immortal and powerful with unmatchable superpowers and many things unknown. This was, however, speculation, and the other thing that can happen is the demigods may die a painful death, so none of them are willing to test this legend.

-After roaming in various parts of the world, the Hunters of Artemis had officially confirmed a few weeks ago that there were no traces of any kind of monsters.

 **(A/N FOR READER "ENTER YOUR NAME", others may skip this one: Firstly thank you so much for reading both my books and motivating me so much. Secondly, I hope all your doubts are cleared now! I'm sorry I wasn't replying earlier but it was kinda fun seeing you there dying outta curiosity :P. But really, thanks for all the motivating reviews and for being so engrossed, you are a great reader ad HAPPY READING to you!)**

 **(A/N for ALL: LET'S KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET THIS TIME. THE END. THANK YOU FOR READING, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY THEN CHECK OUT MY OTHER PJO FANFIC TOO. AND FEEDBACK OF ANY KIND FOR ANY OF MY WORKS IS WELCOME. Again, if you care enough, rate this book out of 10, it would mean the world to me. Thanks in advance :) )**


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